The Chosen One
by J3di Jad3
Summary: [Phantom Menace AU] Anakin Skywalker, a 15 year old slave, has always dreamed of meeting a Jedi- he just didn't think it would happen like this. When Anakin's masters kidnap the Naboo Queen, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn attempt to rescue her. But the presence of a Sith assassin complicates things- especially when the Sith becomes convinced that Anakin is the Chosen One.
1. The Marauder's Vengeance

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away…

STAR WARS  
Episode I:

THE CHOSEN ONE

Although the Jedi Council ruled Padawan Ka'Lee's death a suicide, Knight Qui-Gon Jinn knows better. He  
arrived moments after Ka'Lee's last breath, and observed a figure fleeing the scene.

The Council decided the figure was a common thief, who arrived to steal Ka'Lee's lightsaber. But Qui-Gon believes it was a  
member of a cult long thought deceased- THE SITH.

Qui-Gon and his padawan, Obi-Wan, traced Ka'Lee's missing lightsaber to a pirate frigate, the _MARAUDER'S VENGEANCE,_  
headed for the Naboo system. Now, the two Jedi approach their target….

* * *

First-time spacefarers are often shocked by just how _silent _the vacuum of outer space is. While, intellectually, they know what they are getting into- a trip through a cold, vast, empty wasteland- there is something about it that no sentient can comprehend. Not until they see it for themselves. Only then does their jaw drop, their heart flutter, and a cold sweat break across their skin- they finally comprehend that space is a desolate wasteland, a lifeless plane of existence, a truly empty _vacuum._

Today that vacuum is shattered as two Jedi starfighters emerge from hyperspace at the Naboo system.

The cluttered planetary system houses- among many, many features- several planets, a space station, a gas giant, and dozens on dozens of moons. There is a frigate drifting nearby the main planet, but that ship is so small as to be insignificant. And inexplicably, the Jedi starfighters make a beeline for the frigate.  
Because only the Jedi know what that frigate holds.

In the first Jedi transport sits Knight Qui-Gon Jinn: he is a man in his sixties, but his long hair and alert eyes can make him appear as young as forty. He sits with his bright blue eyes closed, in a near-meditative state- he makes a remarkably peaceful figure, given the situation.

The red starfighter flying beside him houses his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's only twenty-five, and at the moment, he couldn't meditate if his life depended on it. His right knee bobs up and down at a frantic pace, while his blue eyes quickly scan the quiet scene around them. He releases a nervous breath, trying- and almost succeeding- to center himself in the Force.

"Master, do we have to board the ship alone? Can't we just place a tracking device on the hull and call the Jedi Council for backup?" Obi-Wan asks Qui-Gon, trying to keep the tension out of his voice. He almost succeeds. Almost.  
"The Council that dismissed this case?" Qui-Gon asks in return. Obi-Wan falls silent. The padawan presses his lips into a thin line, holding back all the words he wants to _shout _at his reckless master.

A few moments pass in relative silence. Obi-Wan tries not to nervously fiddle with his headset.

"I sense you have more reservations than you let on, young one," Qui-Gon says at last. His tone is not meant to be placating, but Obi-Wan still feels somewhat better. At least his master is listening to him now.  
"Master…" Obi-Wan begins, rather hesitantly. "I know the cause of Ka'Lee's death was a lightsaber wound. But why does that mean a Sith Lord killed her? Anyone could have bought a lightsaber through the black market."  
"And Ka'Lee could have easily defeated an average criminal." Qui-Gon replies. His voice is somewhat lower now, and Obi-Wan knows that Qui-Gon is masking his grief at the young girl's death.

"Keep in mind, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon continues, "more Jedi have died in the past twelve years than in the fifty preceding them. If a Sith Lord murdered Ka'Lee, then perhaps the Sith was behind other Jedi's deaths, as well."  
"Even so, Master, shouldn't the Council have sensed the return of the Sith?" Obi-Wan asks.

Silence falls for another moment. Qui-Gon pauses, perhaps considering his words.

Obi-Wan closes his eyes briefly, allowing himself to let out a deep sigh. "Why do I have the feeling I'm about to hear another controversial teaching?" The padawan asks- it is, quite clearly, a rhetorical question.

To his surprise, Qui-Gon chuckles. "Careful, young one." The Jedi Knight replies in good humor. "Any more wisdom, and you'll end up on the Council yourself."  
Obi-Wan tries to hide a smile. _Wisdom... he really said I have wisdom._

His swell of pride is cut short when he hears a sigh on the other end of the comm unit.  
"In answer to your question," Qui-Gon slowly begins, "I believe the Jedi Council has difficulty sensing the Dark Side."

Obi-Wan's heart jumped like he'd been struck by Sith lightning. "How is that possible? No Sith could be that powerful."  
"Not unaided, no," Qui-Gon replies, "But the Council has fallen into a trap of the Dark Side: put simply, they fear it."  
"You taught me that fear is natural, Master."  
"Yes. But it is unnatural to let it control you, as it often controls the Council. Fear is the nature of the Dark Side, and so they fail to sense it, for they only sense what is familiar to them."

Obi-Wan slumps back against his seat- despite the lack of physical activity, he feels more exhausted than he's been in years. "It can't- Master, it can't be. The Council is the foundation of our Order, if it's been compromised-"  
"But it isn't, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon gently corrects him. "The Force is the foundation of the Jedi Order. Place your faith in it… not in the Jedi Council." The Knight adjusts a few of the controls on his dashboard. "It looks like the _Marauder's Vengeance _has a damaged communications array, but the crew should be able to pick up our signals now. Let's switch to their comm frequency."

"But master, what if Ka'Lee's assassin is onboard?" Obi-Wan protests. "That bounty hunter told us someone on Captain Rathon's crew has Ka'Lee's missing lightsaber. But what if the pirate didn't buy the lightsaber from the assassin? What if the pirate _is _the assassin? We shouldn't warn him that we're coming."  
"And if the assassin is onboard, then we need to save our energy for when we confront him. Boarding the ship peacefully is our best option. Besides, if the pirate frigate was going to try and escape by jumping to hyperspace, it would have done so by now. There's something keeping it in this system."  
"Then... I trust your wisdom, master." Obi-Wan says, despite his stomach turning at the prospect.

Qui-Gon switches comm channels to signal the pirate frigate."_Marauder's Vengeance__,_ our ships are low on fuel. We ask permission to board temporarily-" Suddenly, the Jedi is cut off by a burst of static.  
"That's odd. It's almost like…" Obi-Wan begins.  
"Like they're jamming the standard frequencies." Qui-Gon finishes.

"Look!" Obi-Wan shouts, pointing to the _Vengeance. _Something is shifting along the side of the frigate: six small specks dance along the edge of the ship, swiftly drawing closer to the Jedi... and closer... closer...  
"Enemy starfighters at twelve o'clock," The padawan says, stomach sinking. He hated flying on the best of days- a battle was a whole other circle of the Seven Hells.

Not the slightest bit unnerved, Qui-Gon simply issues orders to the astromech droid on his ship's wing. "R4, charge the blaster cannons."  
Obi-Wan adjusts various controls in his cockpit, readying the ship for battle. Qui-Gon does the same.

The six pirate starfighters are close enough to be seen clearly now, and the dingy assortment of ships charges the Jedi duo head-on. Three starfighters cluster to the right, rushing Obi-Wan; the other three speed toward Qui-Gon.

* * *

Inside the cockpit of pirate starfighter, a grizzled criminal called Ulk'Trenor barks orders to his team.  
_[Hold your fire- Jedi don't shoot first.]_ The spider-like creature chitters in his home-tongue. _[Get behind them before you start fighting; that way they can't hit us.]_

* * *

"Fly straight; don't change vectors." Qui-Gon orders.  
"Master, suicide is _not_ the Jedi way!"  
"Obi-Wan. Trust me."

Obi-Wan nods tersely, his grip on the controls becoming white-knuckled.

The dingy pirate starfighters rush toward them, still set on a collision course. No ship alters its course….

* * *

Within his beaten-up excuse of a ship, Ulk'Trenor growls a curse, and pulls back sharply on the steering yoke.

* * *

At the last second, the squadron of pirates pulls their ships up, flying clear over the Jedi. But mere seconds later, they dip down and turn around in a shoddy formation, increasing their speed as they begin to chase the Jedi towards the _Marauder's Vengeance._ The first bursts of red laser fire streak toward the Jedi, who quickly throw themselves into evasive manuvers.

"Is there more to this plan?" Obi-Wan asks tersely.  
"Head toward that space station- go around the right side; I'll take the left. Let's try to cause a collision." Qui-Gon answers.

Obi-Wan nods, craning his neck to see the station. _It looks almost a full minute's ride away..._  
Jedi never prayed, but the padawan still found himself praying they'd live that long.

Obi-Wan's astromech warbles something to him.  
"The Naboo Queen? What in the galaxy does she wan-?" Obi-Wan starts to ask, but his momentary distraction costs him. A surge of laser fire slams into his fighter, and Obi-Wan jolts against his restraints.

Qui-Gon's heart stops as he sees the blast out of the corner of his eye, and senses Obi-Wan's panic. "Obi-Wan!" The Knight shouts.  
"I'm fine- but my rear deflector shield's down; another hit and I'm out."  
"We're nearly at the space station. Trust in the Force, we'll make it."

Both Jedi weave up and down as laser fire streaks into the void surrounding them. Obi-Wan's droid trills another message.  
"Well, tell her it's not the best time!" Obi-Wan shouts. The droid splutters indignantly to Qui-Gon's R4 unit. R4, in turn, pesters Qui-Gon.  
"Wait- R4, what do you mean 'kidnapping?' Put her through." Qui-Gon says.

As the Jedi ships scream through space, a flickering hologram of the Naboo Queen appears on Qui-Gon's dashboard. She's in her late teens at most, wearing an elaborate red dress that's in tatters, with ash streaking her white face paint.  
"Noble Jedi, I beg for your assistan-" Queen Ilena begins. Her words are drowned out by a volley of laser fire. "I see you've met the pirates, Master Jedi?" She shouts over the space battle.  
"Unfortunately, ma'am-" Qui-Gon replies. He rolls his starfighter hard to the left, avoiding another volley of fire, "-and you?"

Suddenly, the space station fills the Jedi's viewport- it's mere seconds away from them.

"Hold that thought, your highness." Obi-Wan says. He switches comm channels to speak with Qui-Gon. "I'm ready, master."  
"Get ready to break off... now!"

The two Jedi break formation. Obi-Wan swerves around the right of the space station; Qui-Gon zips around the left.

* * *

Inside the cockpit of the lead pirate starfighter, the ugly pilot bares his teeth, snarling orders.  
"You three, keep back!" Ulk'Trenor orders. "Catch 'em if they reverse. The rest of you, go around the left."

* * *

Two off the pirate ships chase after Obi-Wan, while one tails Qui-Gon, and three others stay behind.

The two Jedi streak around the opposite edges edges of the space station- little do the pirates know that the Jedi are flying straight towards each other, ready to collide on the far side of the station. Obi-Wan feels the sweat pooling on his brow- if they didn't time this perfectly, they'd get blown to pieces!

"Get ready to pull up." Qui-Gon orders. "I'll be there in three… two… _one!"  
_

As the Jedi ships are about to collide head-on, Qui-Gon's ship dives straight down, while Obi-Wan yanks his fighter sharply up. They miss each other by a bare meter, and safely zip away.

The collision of the pirate ships chasing them is nothing short of spectacular. As the three pirate starfighters collide, then burst apart into a dazzling fireball, the explosion sends shockwaves through space.

Obi-Wan grits his teeth as the shockwaves hit him, sending his ship spinning out of control. But he tightens his grip on the steering yoke, and harshly turns the fighter back to its proper position.

At that same moment, Qui-Gon turns his ship and darts beneath the space station. His green lasers easily take out the first remaining pirate ship, and moments later Obi-Wan rounds the corner of the space station and takes out a second. By the time the third pirate decides to try and kill Obi-Wan first, Qui-Gon has shot him down.

R4 chimes triumphantly, a sentiment shared by Obi-Wan's smile. Qui-Gon sighs in relief- and his padawan smiles knowingly.  
"Have I given you a heart attack yet, Master?" Obi-Wan asks, far too innocently. His master sends him a weary look.

The Knight brings Queen Ilena back into the conversation. Her hologram appears on the dashboard once more.  
"I'm sorry, your highness. You were saying?" Obi-Wan asks.  
The Queen's hands tremble. "They kidnapped my handmaiden."  
"The pirate gang in orbit- Rathon's Hoard?" Qui-Gon asks.  
She nods. "They nearly took me." Queen Ilena says. "But my handmaiden Gianna convinced them she's the real Queen; that I'm a decoy."  
Obi-Wan leans closer to the hologram. "Is that true?" he asks.  
"No." she replies. "No, and if they find out…"  
Qui-Gon frowns. "They'll come back for you."  
"Or if they don't realize soon, Gianna will be sold as a slave." Queen Ilena says. "Captain Rathon said I'd sell for twice what the Republic would pay in ransom."

Qui-Gon nods, a somber look on his face. "We'll find her, your highness."  
The Queen bows her head in gratitude.  
"May the Force be with us all." Qui-Gon says.  
"And with you, masters." Queen Ilena replies. She ends the transmission.

A crease forms in Obi-Wan's brow. "What about our lead? And the assassin?"  
"Not to worry, Obi-Wan…" Qui-Gon answers. "I have a good feeling he'll come to us."  
"A _good_ feeling?" Obi-Wan mutters.  
"I can still hear you, Obi-Wan. Your comm system is still on."  
Obi-Wan smiles. "I would certainly hope so, master. After all, one of us has to be the voice of reason here."

And with that, they flew their starfighters toward the _Marauder's Vengeance._

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	2. Slave 519-999

**trigger warning: this chapter deals with slavery, which goes hand-in-hand with some brief instances of physical abuse.**

* * *

Onboard the bridge of the _Marauder's Vengeance, _a fifteen-year-old boy lies beneath a battered control console. The brand on his shoulder marks him as number 519-999, as if the shackles on his ankles didn't clearly denote his status as a slave. Despite the oil smeared across his face, he's rather handsome, with blue eyes and tangled brown hair.

519 carefully adjusts his hydrospanner, then gets back to work, mindful of his master hovering nearby...

The master in question is a blue-skinned twi'lek known as Prath Gex. His single eye is trained on 519, and at forty-some years old, he towers above the slave. Prath's scarred hand grips a lightwhip, but it's not activated… yet.

519 suppresses a shudder as he spots the weapon from the corner of his eye. All the pirates in Rathon's Hoard carried one, and 519 had become accustomed to his masters' liberal use of them.

That didn't make the beatings any less painful, and it didn't make the mess of scars on his back any less prominent.

The slave takes a deep breath as he stares at the tangle of wires above him. Carefully, he clips one in half, and reaches up to rearrange a second...  
...then, with vicious determination, jabs the hydrospanner into a metal socket.

Instantly, blue sparks leap at him, and the hydrospanner- not to mention the surrounding circuits- melts into black sludge. The boy snatches his hand back with a stifled yelp.

A gnarled hand shoots under the console, and 519 is roughly yanked out by his collar. He's sprawled at his master's feet a moment later. The pirate leers over him.  
"The frak you'd do?!" Prath snarls.  
The slave prays Prath won't see through the obvious lie: "The hydrospanner broke, I swear I didn't mean to-"

Prath kicks him aside, and kneels down to examine the console- which is now spitting smoke.  
_I hope it blows up in your face, um me hope uu rot noyleea hell, kung, _the slave silently curses in a mix of Basic and Huttese. He resists the urge to clutch his aching side, and tries to catch his breath.

At the front of the bridge, Captain Rathon glances down in annoyance. "Having problems, Prath?" he asks with glacial calm. His green dreadlocks sway with the motion of his shriveled blue head.  
Prath sighs, holding up the melted hydrospanner. "Sorry, captain. Just a melted tool."  
The captain nods shortly, straightening his long jacket as he returns to his duties.

Prath quietly storms back to where the boy sits, still sprawled on the floor where he was thrown moments ago. The pirate bends down and twists 519's arm, dragging the boy up off the floor. The slave winces- but he knows enough to keep silent.  
"Get back to the cargo bay. I'll fix this myself." Prath hisses.

The boy shuffles away as quickly as he can, his noisy chains hindering his movements. Only once Prath disappears beneath the broken console does 519 dare to mutter: "Yeah, good luck with that. I know what I did."

* * *

The boy drags his feet as he heads down the filthy corridors of the _Marauder's Vengeance. _He walks the way he's trained himself to: eyes on the floor, his pace quick enough not to annoy anyone, but not so quick as to look like he's running away. Or at least, he _tries _to walk: it's really more of a limp. His ribs and shoulders still ache from his master's "discipline."

But no matter how slowly 519 walks, he inevitably finds himself in the hall leading up to the cargo bay. He passes a line of dingy turbolifts, and heads to the thick blast door at the end of the hall.

Two burly guards stand at attention beside the blast door leading to the cargo bay. The stockier of the guards, Garsetch Lunn, produces a key card from his pocket. He swipes it across a nearby keypad, and opens the heavy blast door. Behind it is a short, empty corridor with a second blast door at the end.

519 feels his stomach twist as he watches the familiar process. In just a few moments, the guards will seal him behind that second blast door, trapping him in the hot, claustrophobic excuse of a cargo bay. The darkened room will stink of sweat, and be completely silent, despite the hundred slaves trapped inside. Everyone's always too frightened to talk... and 519 couldn't blame them. _  
Not when our masters use their lightwhips at every karking excuse..._

The slave is pulled from his thoughts when he sees the guard, Garsetch, is about to enter the small corridor, and open the inner blast door-  
-but the tattooed man's comlink chimes at that very moment. 519 secretly sighs in relief as the guard answers.  
"Garsetch here."  
"Garsetch, get up to the hangar bay!" Prath Gex's voice comes through the small comm unit. "We're dealing with Jedi here."

The slave's jaw drops. _  
Jedi? Jedi!_  
His heart races, mind whirling with the possibilities, his thoughts too frantic to be restrained to one language.  
_Jedai are unko! Doe jedai can hopa, can help doe people unko!  
__The Jedi are coming to free the slaves!_

Fortunately, the guards are too distracted to notice the boy's reaction. Garsetch slams the outer blast door shut, snarling under his breath.  
"Of all the kriffing days-" Garsetch mutters. He points to 519. "You. Don't move. We'll be back."  
"Yes, master." 519 quietly replies. He keeps his eyes trained on the floor.

Within seconds, the two guards have drawn their blasters, sprinted past the boy, and jumped into one of the dingy turbolifts.

_They left me alone?  
_519 carefully scrutinizes his surroundings.  
_Doe karking idiots left je solo!  
_  
For a moment, 519's heart lifts. It's like someone's turned off the artificial gravity; he feels like he's floating.  
_They left me alone! And there are Jedi onboard!_  
_Mee canto espa! I can escape! The Jedi can help me; they can help all of us!_

Without wasting another second, he bolts to one of the other turbolifts, and jumps inside.

* * *

All too soon, the turbolift comes to a stop. The doors open with a soft chime.

_I can do this, _519 reassures himself. _I can make it out. I am **going **to make it out.  
Che myo mom. Mee canto espa che myo mom.  
I can escape. I can do it for mom.  
_

Palms sweating, heart pounding, 519 cautiously enters the hall. It's just as dirty as the rest of the ship, but filled with stacks of crates, and lined with dozens of doors. He breathes a sigh of relief as he realizes the hall is empty.

The boy hurries through the hall, grimacing as his chains rattle loudly with each step._  
So much for being stealthy..._

He finally comes to a stop beside a wide, keypad-protected blast door. With shaking hands, he pries the cover off of the keypad, exposing the wires within. With a last, anxious glance to each end of the corridor, 519 starts to rearrange the wires. Sweat beads on his brow.  
_I can do this. I can do this. I can-_

He jumps as a small chime sounds behind him- a turbolift has just opened! The slave immediately ducks down, trusting a tall stack of crates to hide him as two pirates, with arms full of blasters, walk out of the turbolift.

From his spot on the floor, 519 frantically works at the entrance keypad. The pirates' slow footsteps grow closer.

"Careful with that." The first pirate mutters.  
"What's it look like I'm doing?" his companion snaps back. Moments later, a crash sounds in the hall, followed by the pirates' vicious swears: they've dropped all the blasters. They rush to pick them up.

519 tries to keep his hands from trembling as he works. He crosses two wires and winces as a spark shocks his hand; he quickly shakes it out and returns to his work. The boy touches two different wires together. A light atop the keypad flickers green, then turns red.

The pirates' footsteps grow closer. 519 tries another pair of wires. The keypad light flashes red. Sweat beads on the slave's brow.

519 rearranges one last pair of wires. He holds his breath.

The scanner flashes green, and the hangar bay door slides open. He glances to the hall to make sure the pirates aren't looking his way, then quickly replaces the keypad cover, and dives inside the hangar bay. The door closes behind him.

As 519 dives inside the expansive hangar bay, he ducks behind another nearby stack of crates._  
__These things are everywhere, _he realizes. _It's like the pirates are building them into some sort of barricade. _  
Cautiously, he boy peers through a crack between two of the boxes. _  
Now I just have to find the Jedi..._

By the boy's count, there are roughly eighty pirates standing in the hangar bay. Luckily, they were too busy preparing for battle to notice that the door behind them was opened and shut.

The pirates, tense as live wires, stand facing the magnetic shield projector: a blueish energy field that separates the hangar bay's atmosphere from open space, but allows ships to pass through. Each pirate is taking shelter behind their own makeshift barricades: some kneel down behind stacks of crates, others use their battered starfighters as cover. They've all aimed their blasters at the two red starfighters streaking toward the hangar bay of the _Marauder's Vengeance._

"The Jedi..." 519 whispers, heart skipping several beats._  
They're trying to set a trap for the Jedi! I have to find a way to warn them-_

519 ducks back as the two pirates carrying blasters walk into the hangar bay. They're stopped at the entrance by another pirate, Necren Munti.  
"You two, grab some more power packs. Might need 'em before this is over." Necren orders.

The two pirates turn to the stack of crates 519 is hiding behind, and lift the top crate off the stack. Immediately, one of them spots the boy.

Adrenaline floods 519's slim body, like he's already been struck by a lightwhip. He bolts from his hiding place, making a run for it.  
"Loose slave!"  
"Don't just stand there, stun him!" Necren orders.

_I have to get out I have to get out-  
Mom I'm so_ _sorry-  
__I'll get out and find you, I promise-  
__I can still get out I can still-_

519 runs for all he's worth, but the chain between his ankles slows every step. From the corner of his eye, he spots a burst of blue light emanate from a pirate's blaster. The boy doesn't even have time to gasp- the stun blast reaches him in an instant, and the slave drops to the floor, unconscious.

Necren prods the boy with his foot. Just then, Prath Gex walks into the hangar.  
"He try to escape?" Prath asks. Necren nods.  
"That Naboo Queen just tried escaping herself." Prath says. "I'd whip her, but she'll sell for more if she don't have any scars. Take the boy; show her what we do to runaways."  
Necren slips a nasty grin across his face. "Yes, sir."

* * *

519 groans softly as he drifts back to consciousness. Despite his pounding head and blurry vision, he easily recognizes his surroundings. He's being carried into the shoddy medical bay for slaves. It's at least marginally clean, and so cramped, it's no bigger than an unused crew cabin.

A flicker of movement catches his attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees someone sitting on the ceiling. No- that wasn't right. Dizzily, the boy realizes he's upside down; the person to his left is sitting on the lower level of a bunk bed.

He doesn't have anymore time to think about this, because Necren roughly drops him on the durasteel floor. The boy stifles a groan as Necren rips the boy's jacket off his shoulders.  
_Myo wompa possession noleeya doe planeeto, um he has tah ruin itr.  
__My one possession in the world, and he has to ruin it.  
Bastard._

"On your knees, boy," Necren barks. Moving somewhat slowly, given his sore limbs, 519 complies. He gasps softly as he looks up.

He's facing the stranger he'd seen sitting on the bottom bunk bed- but now, he can actually make out her features.  
_Bei doe skackra, she sa beaulieev...  
__By the stars, she's beautiful...  
_  
Her long, dark hair flows down her back in glossy ringlets. The room's artificial lighting shines down on her, making her curly hair glow like a fiery halo; the color perfectly complements her warm brown eyes. She looks almost exactly his age, fifteen or maybe sixteen.  
_And she's staring right at me, _519 realizes, heart fluttering.

Necren steps up behind him, and reality sinks back in. _  
Right... I'm here because I'm going to be whipped. __  
So what is she here for?_

He looks at her again: this time, he notices everything wrong with the picture. The girl's lovely hair is singed; her pale face is streaked with ash. Her ratty clothes don't quite fit her, and her entire body is tense, coiled like a spring. She looks like she wants nothing more than to run out of the room.

The boy's stomach sinks.  
_She's probably a slave, too. _  
After all, they were both in the slaves' med bay. It seemed pretty obvious in hindsight.

His thoughts are interrupted by Necren.  
"This is why slaves don't try to escape," the pirate softly growls. He steps back, pulling the lightwhip off of his leather belt. 519 grits his teeth, bracing himself.

"No! It was my fault-" the girl protests. That doesn't stop Necren from igniting the lightwhip, and it doesn't stop the long rope of energy from striking 519's back. The boy tenses, but manages to take the strike in silence.

_"Stop it! _Please!" the girl shouts. She doesn't get another word out before Necren snaps the lightwhip across her knee. She tries to muffle her gasp as she flinches, clutching her injured leg.  
"What'd you just say to me, pretty?" Necren asks, threateningly raising the lightwhip.  
She swallows tightly. "I'll take the lashes. It's my fault, I'm the one who tried to run away."

The pirate grabs her roughly, shoving her to her knees beside 519. _  
__She's really going through with this, _the boy realizes. He looks up at her in shock. But why? He wasn't anything to her. He was just a stranger, a whipping boy to keep the pirates from damaging their new property. And for some reason, this girl was going to take his lashes for him._  
__She sa beaulieev, um she sa an agnelik, peetch...  
__She's beautiful, and she's an angel, too..._

She's right beside him, and he can almost feel her shaking. Quietly, 519 offers her his hand. She grabs it tightly.

Moments later, Necren sends three lashes down her back, leaving long tears in the back of her shirt, and equally long burns on her skin.

The pirate deactivates his lightwhip, and silently crosses the room. He pulls a key card from his belt and uses it to open only exit. The door slams down behind him as he leaves, and automatically locks.

519 breathes a sigh of relief._  
__He's gone._

The girl beside him lets go of his hand. 519 takes that as his cue to carefully sits down; it's a relief to get off his knees. The girl beside him awkwardly does the same- 519 knew her back had to be aching.

_She did that for me, _he realizes. The reality of what happened slowly sinks in. _She really just did that for me.__ For no reason at all. Just to be kind._

"Thank you," 519 says. He knows those words don't even begin to express how grateful he is. But it's a start.  
The girl beside him manages a small smile. "I'm just sorry I dragged you into this."  
"Hey, I was in the middle of getting caught. I would've gotten whipped anyway," he replies, and smiles tentatively. "Guess I wasn't the only one who decided it would be a great idea to run away today, right?"  
She laughs. "Guess that makes us pretty stupid then, huh?"  
519 feels a genuine smile spread across his face. "I like to think of it as brave. And I've got your back next time, okay?"  
She smiles back. "Thank you."

With a jolt, 519 realizes he hasn't introduced himself yet. "I'm Anakin, by the way." 519 says, "Anakin Skywalker."  
"I'm-" The girl draws herself up regally, "Queen Ilena. I come from Naboo."_  
_  
_Queen?! _Anakin tries to keep his jaw from dropping. _You karking idiot, you can't talk to a Queen like that! You're a slave, remember?_  
"Oh, wow, I- I'm sorry, your highness, I didn't-" Anakin starts to stammer.  
"It's alright." Queen Ilena cuts him off softly. "I know I don't exactly look like a queen right now. The pirates made me change into this," she gestures to her ratty clothes, "so they could sell my dress. And..." she hesitates, biting her lip, "you can call me Gianna, if you like."

Anakin smiles shyly. "Thanks. If- if it's okay for me to ask, Gianna… How did you end up here?"  
"Naboo is a peaceful world- it has been for a thousand years." Bitterness laces her tone. "That much peace doesn't prepare your capital for a pirate raid."  
"I'm sorry." Anakin softly replies.  
"They burned everything. My family lives in the capital, too, but I was in the palace when the pirates came. I don't... I don't know what happened to my parents... or my sister..." Gianna trails off. She hides her face from him, discreetly wiping her eyes. As she does so, her tattered shirt slips down, almost falling off her shoulders. She crosses her arms over her chest to hold it up.

"Hold on..." He picks up his jacket from the floor, dusting it off a bit before he hands it to her. Gianna shrugs it on as best she can- her hands are shaking, and they fumble over the clasps.  
Tentatively, Anakin reaches over, and closes the final clasps for her. "There."  
"Thanks." Gianna murmurs. She looks up to meet his eyes, smiling softly. He smiles back.

They both jump as another pirate- Anakin recognizes her as Sibole Najess- suddenly enters the room. The ragged blonde woman carries a metal rod in her hand; she points it at Gianna.  
"You, Queenie. Jacket off."  
"What is that thing?" Gianna asks. She eyes the rod with suspicion.  
"I said get that jacket off." Sibole snaps. "Last warning." With that, Sibole flicks a switch on the side of the rod. The flattened end of it begins to glow with white-hot, electric heat. Numbers flicker across the electric end, eventually settling on a six digit combination.

Anakin and Gianna look to each other in horror. It only takes them seconds to piece together the situation: the pirate is carrying a brand.

Gianna takes a deep breath, steeling herself for what's to come. Then she removes the jacket Anakin gave her.

Sibole Najess squints for a moment, confusion settling over her features as she stares at Gianna's left shoulder.  
"Shavit!" The pirate suddenly gasps. She rushes out of the cabin. "Prath, get over here! We grabbed the wrong..." Her voice fades away as her distance from them grows.

"Oh no..." Gianna breathes.  
"Gianna? What's wrong?"  
She doesn't respond. Gently, Anakin picks up his jacket and drapes it over her shoulders.  
"Oh gods... I'm dead." She whispers. Slowly, distantly, she puts on the jacket.  
"What?" Anakin gasps. "No… No, they can't kill you. You're the Queen; you're too valuable for them to hurt you. It'll be alright, you'll see.

She's silent for a moment, fiddling with the jacket. "I'm sorry, Anakin. I didn't want to lie to you._"_  
_Lie to me? _he wonders, stomach sinking.  
"And my name really is Gianna," she continues, "But I… I'm not Queen Ilena. I'm her decoy."

For a moment, he simply gapes, mind reeling. "You are?" He manages to ask. "So then- you're here to protect the Queen?"  
"For all the good I did. Whoever that pirate was, she just pieced together the whole scam."  
"But how could she know?"  
Gianna hides an embarrassed blush. "I'm more of a... decoy-in-training, actually. I look like her majesty, but I don't have the same shoulder tattoo as her, like all the official decoys. I guess that pirate was smarter than the rest of them."

_Something doesn't add up,_ Anakin realizes. "I don't understand. How come you're here instead of the real decoys?"  
Gianna's face falls. "They all died fighting back the pirates during the palace raid." she says quietly. "In the end, there weren't any real decoys left to protect her majesty. So I lied, and said that Ilena was the decoy, and that I was the real Queen."

He's quiet for a moment, just absorbing the information. Then Anakin stands up gingerly, and offers his hand to Gianna. "Come on. If the pirates figured out you're not the real queen, then we've got to get you out of here before you get in any real trouble."  
She lets him help her up, but her brow is creased in concern. "Anakin, there's no way we're going to escape now," she protests. "The door's locked-"  
"So we get them to open it."  
"And then what, we just walk out of here?"

Anakin examines the room, then turns to Gianna, his mind racing.  
"Or... we set a trap." he says.  
"Okay. How can I help?"

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	3. The Assassin

In the cold void of space, two red Jedi starfighters streak toward the _Marauder's Vengeance_ hangar bay, which is now mere meters away.

Obi-Wan presses his lips together as he senses the mass of life forms waiting for them in the hangar bay. From this distance, he can't yet see them, but the Force screams a warning: there are dozens upon dozens of pirates waiting for them. _  
__How many? Seventy? Eighty? A hundred? _the padawan wonders.

Forcing himself not to center on his anxiety, he asks, "What's the plan, master?"  
"Hand over your lightsaber." The Jedi Knight answers. "We're going to surrender."  
_"Surrender?" _  
"Yes. If we want to rescue Gianna, we need to find the holding cells," Qui-Gon explains. "And the quicker we find them, the fewer opportunities we grant Ka'Lee's assassin to attack us, if the assassin is indeed here."

Obi-Wan swallows tightly. _  
__That's some plan, master..._

Seconds later, the two starfighters touch down in the center of the dingy hangar bay. They land about ten meters beyond the blue magnetic shield generator.

Quickly, Obi-Wan scans the dirty, poorly lit room. Roughly eighty pirates lined the bay walls, hiding behind stacks of crates or scratched ships. They all have their blasters trained on the two Jedi ships.

Slowly, the pirates begin to swarm toward them.

"I hope you're right about this, master." Obi-Wan warns, trying to release his anxiety into the force._  
I really, really hope so..._  
"So do I, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon calmly responds. His padawan knows that this is the end of that discussion. Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan pops open his cockpit canopy, hands raised in surrender.

Before exiting his own ship, Qui-Gon subtly draws two small metal spheres, and a tweezer-like object, into the pocket of his tunic. Then he opens the canopy of his starfighter, warmly putting on his best diplomatic smile.  
"As I attempted to say over the comm channel, I am Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, and our ships are low on fuel." The Jedi Knight says, his voice ringing throughout the relatively small hangar. "We would like permission to temporarily dock and refuel our fighters. However, it seems there was a… miscommunication with your crew."

From the glob of pirates, a tall twi'lek steps forward, and jumps onto the wing of Qui-Gon's fighter. The blue-skinned twi'lek carefully trains his blaster on the Jedi.  
"Permission to dock was never granted. You're trespassing on private property- and you're surrounded." Prath Gex says, the threat in his tone impossible to miss. "Hand over your lightsabers, Jedi."  
"Indeed." Qui-Gon calmly agrees, his expression settling into something more serious. "I suppose it would be best to come quietly."

Qui-Gon slowly unhooks his lightsaber from his belt, and hands it hilt-first to Prath. _  
_  
His padawan hesitates.  
_Oh sweet Force, what am I doing? _Obi-wan mentally berates himself. Reluctantly, the padawan hands his lightsaber to the blonde woman who has climbed onto his ship's wing.

The wiry woman and the twi'lek hand the lightsabers to another pair of pirates. Then Prath twists the Qui-Gon's arms behind his back, and clamps a set of binders around them. A few meters away, Sibole does the same to Obi-Wan.

Prath shoves his blaster into Qui-Gon's back.  
"Now, we're going to take a walk to the brig, nice and easy." The pirate orders. Then he turns to the assembly in the hangar. "As for the rest of you... get back to work! I want that hyperdrive fixed, now!"  
_So that's why they didn't just jump to hyperspace when they saw our ships, _Obi-Wan realizes. _Their hyperdrive's malfunctioning.  
_But he doesn't have any time to dwell on this, as Prath, Sibole, and six mangy guards start to march the Jedi out of the hangar bay.

* * *

A short walk later, they enter a gray hall a couple hundred meters long, with six turbolifts on the far end. Obi-Wan makes a mental note of that- the turbolifts would be an optimal escape route.

But before the Jedi can get near the turbolifts, the pirates open a passcode protected door on their right. Prath and Sibole shove their prisoners into the holding cell, keeping their blasters high in case the Jedi pull any tricks. But the prisoners are perfectly compliant- or at least, they appear to be.

When the door has nearly closed, slamming down from the ceiling, Qui-Gon uses the Force to pull the two metal spheres out of his pocket. He silently rolls them into the doorway; a split second later, the durasteel door slams down atop them. However, the door stops a few centimeters above the durasteel floor, held up by the spheres.

_Impressive, _Obi-Wan notes, with more than a bit of pride in his master. But he doesn't dare to speak until he hears that most of the pirates are leaving the hall- he listens to their footsteps fade away for a few moments.  
"Mandolorian iron?" Obi-Wan finally asks in a hushed voice. Qui-Gon nods, smiling his approval. Then the Jedi Knight uses the Force to pull a second, tweezer-like item from his tunic pocket- a thin lock pick.

_Was this your plan all along, master?_ Obi-Wan wonders, relief washing over him. He supposes this was some lesson about trusting his master, or trusting the Force._  
__But it's much easier to trust the Force when you're prepared, _he realizes. Perhaps that was the true lesson?

But he doesn't have any longer to dwell on this, as Qui-Gon quickly levitates the lock pick, and unlocks his and his padawan's binders. Obi-Wan rubs his wrists as Qui-Gon pockets the lock pick.

The padwan quietly lies down on his stomach, and peers through the crack left between the door and the deck. There's a guard on each side of the cell door; each is carrying a weapon.  
"Looks like the guards have blasters." Obi-Wan whispers to his master.

Then, suddenly, the guards drop limply to the floor, like a puppet with its strings cut. It was like their necks were snapped. Their necks _were _snapped, invisibly...  
_A__s if through the Force... _the padawan realizes.

Obi-Wan jumps up. There's only one explanation: "The assassin!"  
Qui-Gon quickly uses the Force to lift the door up a full meter. The two Jedi roll out into the hall, landing in defensive stances, fulling expecting to see a menacing figure. But there are only the dead guards, an empty hall, and a loud _clang_ as the door slams shut behind them.

Obi-Wan searches the mysteriously empty corridor. "But- the hall's empty; there's no one here..."  
_"Wait." _Qui-Gon says. Qui-Gon stares at the right end of the hall. For a few heartbeats, nothing happens. Then a lightsaber hilt flashes into existence, clattering to the floor.

Obi-Wan steps back reflexively, staring at the weapon in disbelief. "That can't be- that's Ka'Lee's lightsaber."  
Qui-Gon stretches a protective arm in front of his apprentice. The master is studies the empty air above Ka'Lee's lightsaber.

Obi-Wan's eyes widen suddenly. "Master, I sense-"  
"Obi-Wan, listen to me carefully." Qui-Gon cuts him off. "The assassin is here- He's using the Force to bend light and sound waves around him, but it's taking too much energy for him to conceal his presence in the Force."  
"You mean… he's invisible?"  
"Yes. And he's standing beside Ka'Lee's lightsaber."  
Obi-Wan's jaw drops, and he sinks back into a defensive stance. "But... why hasn't he killed us?" he whispers.  
Qui-Gon Force-pulls Ka'Lee's lightsaber into his hand. "That would be too quick," he grimly answers. "He wants us to fight him first." The Jedi Knight raises his voice and calls to the unseen assassin: "Don't you?"

In response, the low hum of lightsaber blade fills the hall. But no blade can be seen- Qui-Gon hasn't activated Ka'Lee's lightsaber.  
_The assassin must have activated his, _Obi-Wan realizes, heart pounding. _Even though we can't see the blade... can he make his weapon invisible as well? _His stomach sinks at the thought.

Qui-Gon drops his outer robe on the deck, keeping his eyes fixed on the assassin's location. "Obi-Wan, go. Find your lightsaber." he says in a low voice.  
Obi-Wan drops his outer robe, too. "You can't get rid of me that easily, master." He uses the Force to pull the dead guards' blasters to him; the padawan grips one weapon in each hand.

The assassin makes no move to stop him.

Qui-Gon closes his eyes, and centers himself in the Force as he activates Ka'Lee's blue lightsaber. Obi-Wan tightens his grip on his blasters.

The assassin strikes first; the Jedi sense, rather than see, the strike. The Jedi become locked in a duel with their invisible opponent. The assassin wavers in and out of sight, like an insubstantial shadow, unable to duel the Jedi and remain completely invisible.

The battle intensifies; then an animalistic howl is heard. A dark-robed fades into into view, clutching his chest. The assassin flips backward, out of reach of the Jedi- and his red lightsaber is seen.

"Qui-Gon- he's a Sith Lord!" Obi-Wan gasps, staring at the red blade. The Sith Lord again becomes invisible. For a moment, the Jedi pause, breathing heavily.  
"Master, you were right! We have to tell the Council-"  
"Keep your thoughts on the present: the Sith is wounded, not defeated." Qui-Gon snaps. "The battle may not be over."  
"Yes, Master."

Back to back, the Jedi slowly advance down the corridor. They've made it two meters… three meters… four...

Obi-Wan's eyes fly open in shock, as his blasters are force-pulled from his hands. Qui-Gon whirls around to block a lightsaber strike; then suddenly Obi-Wan is thrown through the air. The padawan crashes to the floor inside a turbolift.  
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon shouts. Obi-Wan just lays there, completely unconscious.

Qui-Gon leaps to the side as the assassin flickers into sight; the red blade nearly spears Qui-Gon in the chest, but instead slices through the side of his tunic.

Then the translucent turbolift doors slam shut in front of Obi-Wan, and the lift descends.

* * *

Within the turbolift, Obi-Wan groans, cautiously lifting himself off the cool metal floor. He takes a quick look through the descending lift- luckily, he's alone.

Then he clutches his throat as a sudden pressure wraps around it. The Jedi is slowly lifted high into the air by the dark force. The assassin flickers into existence before him. Obi-Wan fights for his life, kicking at the Sith's throat- but it's no use. The black-robed figure is standing too far back for Obi-Wan to reach him. The Sith makes no contact with Obi-Wan; he simply holds the Jedi in a Force choke.

* * *

Back in the hall, Qui-Gon has Ka'Lee's lightsaber pressed against the thick door separating the hallway from the turbolift shaft. He finishes his circular cut into the door, and uses the Force to pull out the circular slice of the door; Qui-Gon then leaps into the turbolift shaft without hesitation. He lands a second later on the lift's ceiling. Rather than cutting another hole into the lift car, he stabs his saber straight down.

* * *

Within the lift, the cloaked Sith swiftly turns aside as a blue blade shoots out of the ceiling. He smirks at the pitiful attempt, never losing his grip on Obi-Wan, even as the padawan struggles. The blue blade retracts.

* * *

Qui-Gon raises his hand and shoves it forward- -and the Sith Lord is force-pushed into the turbolift wall. The Sith loses his force-grip on Obi-Wan. The padawan collapses, gagging.

Now Qui-Gon is using Ka'Lee's lightsaber to cut a hole in the turbolift ceiling- -but the Sith raises his hands, using the Force to throw the Qui-Gon against the turbolift shaft wall. Qui-Gon then falls a few meters down the shaft, and crashes atop the turbolift ceiling. Before he can recover-

-the Sith ignites his red blade, raising it above his head and snarling, ready to kill Obi-Wan. The padawan looks up in horror-

Then a small chime sounds as the translucent turbolift doors open, and the Sith swiftly turns invisible.

A blue blade slices a circle through the lift's ceiling. The circle of durasteel falls through, followed by Qui-Gon.

"M-master, he's-" Obi-Wan stammers.  
"Gone. Don't worry, I sensed him leave." Qui-Gon replies. He places a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Are you alright?"  
Obi-Wan merely nods, still regaining his breath. His brow creases as something begins to trouble him.

"Master... why would he leave?" Obi-Wan asks.  
Qui-Gon studies the level outside the turbolift. "He was wounded- but that wasn't what stopped him. Look- this hall has security holocams in each corner," he says, pointing them out.  
"The Sith doesn't want to be seen?"  
"He doesn't want to leave any concrete evidence behind. His last killing was also discreet- there were no witnesses aside from us. And we only had a glimpse of him fleeing the scene."  
Obi-Wan frowns. "If the assassin doesn't want to leave any evidence behind, why not just kill us and destroy the ship later?"  
"Because it would be too suspicious." Qui-Gon grimly replies. "If two Jedi and an entire frigate disappear, amidst rumors of a Sith assassin... even the Jedi Council couldn't ignore such a coincidence. It's most likely the assassin planned to frame these pirates for murdering us."  
_And he nearly succeeded, _Obi-Wan realizes. He shudders as he and his master limp out of the turbolift.

Qui-Gon reaches into his utility belt, and pulls out a comlink. "This is Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, reporting from Naboo." There is no reply, just a loud burst of static. "I repeat, this is Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, reporting from Naboo. We've been attacked by Padawan Ka'Lee Ussi's assassin, and urgently need reinforcements. Can anyone hear me?" Once again, there is no reply, only static.  
"Blast," Qui-Gon curses, as he very rarely does. "The pirates are still jamming the standard frequencies. We'll need to get to our ships if we want to get a message through to the Council."

"What about the handmaiden, Gianna?" Obi-Wan asks.  
"As far as I've seen, this is the only level on the frigate with security holocams. That means there's also there's something valuable here, something- or someone- worth guarding." Qui-Gon replies. "Perhaps someone the pirates think is Naboo Queen. We may be closer to finding her than you think."

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	4. Meeting the Jedi

Gianna (still wearing Anakin's blue jacket) climbs into each set of bunk beds in the med bay. With the efficiency of a solider-  
_A beautiful, angelic soldier, _Anakin idly thinks-  
-the handmaiden strips off the thin sheets and tosses them into the center of the room. Her companion sits in the middle of the mess, careful twisting, weaving, and tying the hole-riddled sheets together.

"What happens if the rope breaks?" Gianna asks.  
It takes Anakin, completely absorbed in his work, a moment to reply. "It won't break."  
"That's… entirely not what I asked." she says under her breath. She tosses the final sheet down, and slides off one of the top bunks.  
He quirks an eyebrow. "Is that sass I hear, your highness?"

She moves to sit beside him, and starts helping him create the makeshift rope.  
"I'll quit being _'sassy'_ once you tell me your backup plan." she pointedly replies.  
"I told you, we don't need a backup plan."  
"So if this goes wrong, then what?"  
"Then, nothing. We've only got one shot at this," Anakin replies. Bitterness seeps into his voice. "If we don't escape now, we'll probably get sold to opposite ends of the galaxy. Assuming we don't get ourselves killed first."

He stands and offers Gianna his hand; she daintily accepts it and lets him pull her up.  
"I'll escape or die trying, thank you very much." she dryly replies.  
"Yeah, I'm with you. We can have a double funeral; it'll be fun." he says as he hands her the finished rope.

Anakin crosses the dusty room, Gianna on his heels. A moment later ,he's fiddling with the lighting controls on the left side of the room's lone door. He removes the outer panel, and begins reconfiguring the wires.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Gianna watching him work with real interest. He hopes she doesn't notice the heat flooding his cheeks._  
__Pay attention to what you're doing, you karking druldoga; you want to impress her, not electrocute yourself like an idiot._

Anakin presses two final wires together. It plunges the room into near-complete darkness. Only one of the ceiling's dingy glowpanels is still lit: the one to the right of the door. The one directly over Gianna. She stands in the lone pool of light, while he's almost impossible to see in the sudden shadows. _  
Perfect work, Skywalker, _he compliments himself. _Let's just hope it works._

Anakin holds out his hands, and Gianna tosses him the rope.  
"Okay. Ready?" he asks.  
"As I'll ever be." The handmaiden takes a deep, steadying breath.

A moment later, she screws up her face and shrieks like she's being murdered. Anakin actually winces from his darkened hiding place.

The handmaiden screams again as footsteps pound towards the med bay. A moment later, the slaves hear gruff voices cursing in the hall.  
"The kriff's going on in there?!" Prath Gex shouts from the other side of the door.  
The slaves stay silent.  
"Hey!" Sibole Najess calls. "We're talking to you, Queenie!"  
There is still no reply from the slaves locked inside the med bay.

_Take the bait... take the bait, come on... _Anakin didn't have anyone that he prayed to, but now he almost wished he did.

"Blasted guards." Sibole mutters. "Drukheads left their posts, and for what?"  
"Probably celebrating. Think they'll be getting rich once we sell the Jedi and the Queen..." Prath replies.

_Take the bait! Come on, you idiots, just take the bait!_

"Well," Sibole spits, slamming the palm of her hand on the med bay door, "we won't be getting two credits if the Queen's dead, will we?"  
"She's made trouble from the start. Might be faking this, too," Prath murmurs. "You stand back, I'll open the door."

Anakin, heart hammering, kneels down as he stretches the rope taught between his hands. Gianna bites her lip, breathing heavily, as she tries to put up a brave front.

A moment later, the door slides open. Prath charges into the room, while Sibole stands guard in the doorway- she keeps her blaster raised. The former turns to see Gianna standing in the lone pool of light. Anakin is crouched down behind in the shadows, flattening himself against the wall, and- _  
__thank the gods, the goddesses, whoever can hear me now, thank you-_  
the boy has gone unnoticed by the pirates.

Prath scowls, grabbing Gianna's wrist.  
"You little schutta, what are you–" he starts to say, just as Anakin springs up from his hiding place.

Prath gasps as Anakin swiftly lowers the rope over the pirate's head; Anakin immediately tightens it like a noose. Prath stumbles back into the darkness, being tugged back by Anakin; Gianna lunges forward to grab the blasters off the pirate's belt.

But instead, she drops to the floor as red laser bolts fly through the med bay; Gianna narrowly avoids death as Sibole fires her blasters. The handmaidens drops and rolls into the darkness, disappearing from Sibole's sight.

Sibole automatically reaches for the room's lighting controls- controls that are still disassembled. She jumps as one hand is shocked by a live wire, causing her to drop her blaster as the med bay is plunged into total darkness.  
"Kriff!" she shouts.

Anakin is barely able to keep his grip on the noose as Prath swears breathlessly, struggling to stand up. Gianna dives toward them, snatching the blasters from Prath's belt and setting one to stun. Sibole picks up her blaster- just as Gianna, keeping low, aims her new blaster at Sibole's chest. A burst of blue light flies out of the blaster barrel, landing squarely in the pirate's torso. Sibole promptly collapses.

Anakin releases Prath. The twi'lek jumps up; Gianna stuns him immediately– twice, for good measure. He hits the floor with a dull thud.

For a moment, both the slaves just sit there, trying to catch their breath.  
"Are you okay?" Anakin asks, turning to Gianna.  
"Yeah, you?" she replies.  
He nods, an impish grin spreading across his face. "I told you the rope wouldn't break."  
Gianna sends him a look before handing him a blaster.

Anakin cautiously stands, a pokes his head through the door to take a swift look at the hall. It's empty.  
_Thank you gods, goddesses, angels, whoever's on my side today..._  
Not wasting a second, he grabs Sibole's ankles and drags her into the med bay, while Gianna binds Prath's arms behind his back with the impromptu rope. Anakin takes the other end of the rope, tightly tying up Sibole and Prath back-to-back.

Anakin knows this is only a temporary solution, but he's not about to shoot two people in cold blood.  
_Not even though they're the scum of the galaxy..._

Before he leaves the med bay, he grabs something off of Prath's belt: a key card. Gianna doesn't notice.

Without wasting any time, the two slaves sprint out of the med bay, the door closing behind them on its own.

They barely make it ten steps when a small chime sounds at the end of the hall.  
_Shavit! Someone's coming in one of the turbolifts! _Anakin mentally curses. He abruptly stops, turning to warn Gianna– but she hasn't stopped running. She crashes straight into him. The handmaiden gasps as she stumbles into Anakin's arms; he steps back, wrapping his arms around her as he tries to stop them both from collapsing.  
"You're very forward." he breathlessly quips. He hopes she can't feel his heart racing.  
"Oh, shut up," she says, almost rolling her eyes as she gets her feet back under her. Anakin grabs her hand, and pulls her down the hall with him, toward the turbolifts at the end of the hall.

"Wait-" Gianna gasps, realizing that one of the turbolifts is about to open, "Anakin, we have to hide!"  
A second chime sounds, and the a few lights above one of the turbolifts wink out._  
__The turbolift car's only four floors away!_ _And it's getting closer, _he realizes, and that thought sends a surge of adrenaline through his system.  
"The other rooms are locked, and I'm not hiding at our crime scene." he explains. "We have to get in the other turbolift." Quickly, he presses a button on the other turbolift. The translucent doors slip open, and he and Gianna jump inside.

The doors close behind them, and the teenagers lower their voices to whispers.  
"Okay, where to?" Gianna asks.  
"Nowhere." he replies. "Once the pirates are gone, we head back out to this level, and get the other slaves out of the cargo bay. Then we head up to the hangar bay and steal a ship."  
"Can you fly one of the ships?"  
"Probably."  
"_Probably?_"  
"How hard can it be?"

Before Gianna can protest, Anakin waves her down to the floor beside him. They press their backs to the wall beside the doors, so that they can't be seen through the translucent turbolift doors.

"Besides, odds are at least one of the other slaves can fly _something_." Anakin continues. He gestures to her blaster. "And you might want to take that off stun. The pirates' blasters only knock you out for a minute. And if they wake up to a mass escape, we're as good as dead."  
She switches the settings on her blaster; Anakin does the same on his.  
"You're going to get me killed, aren't you?" Gianna asks, eyes flashing.  
"Hey, you agreed to a double funeral."

They both freeze as a crash sounds on the other side of the turbolift doors.

Gianna and Anakin clutch their blasters, palms sweating, hearts thundering, as they hear a garbled conversation take place in the hall. Carefully, blaster raised, Anakin edges an eye toward the translucent doors. He sees two shadowy figures step into the hall.

One of the figures reaches into his belt and pulls out a comlink. The man is now close enough for his words to be made out.  
"This is Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, reporting from Naboo." The taller shadow says. There is no reply from his comlink, just a loud burst of static.

Gianna's jaw drops, and she moves to open the lift doors. But Anakin catches her wrist and stops her.  
"How do we know he's really a Jedi?" Anakin silently mouths. Gianna bites her lip, and shrugs.

The figure on the other side of the doors speaks again.  
"I repeat, this is Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, reporting from Naboo. We've found Ka'Lee Ussi's assassin, and urgently need reinforcements. Can anyone hear me?" Once again, there is no reply, only static. "Blast. The pirates are still jamming the standard frequencies. We'll need to get to our ships if we want to get a message through to the Council."  
"What about the handmaiden, Gianna?" A second, humanoid figure asks.

Gianna's jaw drops.  
_But the pirates all think she's Queen Ilena... these must be real Jedi, sent on a rescue mission! _Anakin realizes, heart nearly leaping out of his chest. _Real, actual Jedi!_  
From the hopeful look on Gianna's face, Anakin knows she's thinking the same thing.

"As far as I've seen," Qui-Gon continues, "this is the only level on the frigate with security holocams. That means there's also there's something valuable here, something worth guarding. Perhaps someone the pirates think is the Naboo Queen. We may be closer to finding her than you think."

Gianna opens the translucent turbolift doors, and she and Anakin step out.  
"Master Jedi?" she asks. Both the Jedi turn around in shock. The second man looks to Qui-Gon.  
"You were saying, master?" the man asks.

For a moment, Anakin simply stares at them, a little slack jawed: these are his heroes, the type of people he only heard about from the legends his mother told him. The two men stood proud and tall in their tan tunics and slacks. Only one of them- the tall one, Knight Qui-Gon Jinn- carried a lightsaber. The other one has no weapon, and his auburn hair is cropped short, save for a long braid falling over his shoulder.

Master Qui-Gon steps forward, brow creased in concern. "We came to rescue you, mi'lady, but it seems you're both a step ahead of us. Are either of you hurt?"  
"We're alright, master." Gianna replies. She gestures to Anakin. "This is Anakin Skywalker- I couldn't have escaped without him."  
Anakin looks at the Jedi with open wonder, trying not to stammer as he speaks. "It's an honor, masters, I-I never thought I'd really meet a Jedi."

The younger Jedi sends a warning glance to his master. "Yes, I'm sure we're all very pleased to meet each other, but may I remind you, master, we have to get off this ship before the pirates jump to hyperspace."  
"It won't make a jump for a while, sir." Anakin speaks up.  
"Why not?" Qui-Gon asks.  
"I'm a slave here, sir." Anakin answers. "One of the pirates needed me to fix the control console that communicates with the hyperdrive; I did my best to sabotage it."  
"How long do we have?" The younger Jedi asks (_he must be a padawan, _Anakin realizes, _that's why he wears that weird hair braid)._  
"Maybe another fifteen minutes, sir." Anakin replies.

"Anakin, are there other slaves onboard?" Qui-Gon asks.  
"Yes, sir. There's at least a hundred more in the cargo bay."  
"Then lead the way." Qui-Gon says.

_He's going to free the slaves! _Anakin realizes. _It's really happening!_

Anakin takes off down the long corridor, moving as fast as he can, given the shackles on his ankles. He heads toward the right end of the hall, and the holocams. Gianna, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan run after him.

Anakin slows as they turn a corner, and creeps down the next hall very quietly. Then he turns, a huge grin on his face.  
"It's okay!" he calls. "The guards ditched their posts."  
"Why in the worlds would they do that?" The padawan asks.  
"Gianna's guards ditched their posts, too- I think all the guards did." Anakin replies, not bothering to conceal the glee in his voice. "They're all celebrating that they captured a Queen."

Qui-Gon approaches the blast door at the end of the hall, so Anakin pulls a small piece of plastic from his pocket.  
"Here- there's no way to hack that keypad; I've tried." Anakin says, tossing the card to the Jedi Knight. "But I managed to nick Prath's keycard from him today."  
"Who?" The padawan asks.  
"Prath Gex, one of the pirates." Anakin replies. "Gianna and I stunned him and locked him up when we escaped."

Qui-Gon slides the keycard through the keypad, then opens the blast door. Then the Knight enters the short corridor, followed by his padawan and the two slaves.  
_This is it, _Anakin realizes. He's almost trembling- trembling with joy, with excitement, with trepidation, he didn't know. _I'm really going to be free. So are another hundred slaves._

Qui-Gon creeps up to the inner blast door. "On three," the Knight whispers. Everyone tenses.

* * *

The dank, rusty "cargo bay" has only one entrance: a gleaming silver blast door. At the moment, it's closed, trapping the fifty slaves locked inside. They lie quietly on the thin bunk beds nailed to the center of the room. Some of them huddle together in groups: six Naboo handmaidens curl up together beneath a blanket; a mother and her children sit together on the dusty ground; a few young men play a covert card game atop one of the bunks.

They're all kept in line by twenty guards, who stand against the reddish walls. Each has a lightwhip on their belt, and a blaster in hand- and two of them have Jedi lightsabers on their respective belts.

The blast door suddenly opens, causing every slave to look up. And when they do, gasps resound through the low-ceilinged room.

Knight Qui-Gon Jinn stands with Ka'Lee's blue lightsaber ignited. Within seconds, Obi-Wan uses the Force to pull their real lightsabers from the guards' belts. The twenty guards open fire; the Jedi deflect the blasts back toward the guards.

Anakin and Gianna, crouching down behind the Jedi, raise their blasters and fire at the guards.  
"Nice shot." Anakin calls to her. "And here I thought you were from a peaceful planet."  
"This is just 'aggressive negotiations,'" Gianna quips back. "What's your excuse?"  
"Back on Tatooine, this is how you introduce yourself." he says with a grin.

Now half of the guards have fallen. One of the other slaves in the cargo bay jumps to his feet.  
"What are we waiting for?" the elderly slave calls. "Now's our chance!"

The slaves rise up, tackling the remaining pirates. The pirates fire into the crowd, and some slaves are temporarily stunned, slumping to the floor. But the pirates are outnumbered... and at last, the criminals all fall to the deck. The slaves quickly get ahold of their blasters, and wave them in the air with a cheer so loud, it shakes the deck beneath their feet.

"There could be more pirates headed this way," Qui-Gon calls, "quickly, follow us to the escape pods!"

The Jedi and the slaves rush out of the cargo bay. The dirty crowd sprints down the hall, and they all pack themselves into the five functioning turbolifts.

* * *

Five turbolifts- the sixth is still wrecked from the battle with the Sith assassin- open to reveal the Jedi, Anakin, Gianna, and the other slaves.  
_The hangar bay is just ahead! _Anakin realizes, and the spurs him on to run even faster, his hand in Gianna's, fifty newly freed beings running with them...

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	5. Freeing the Slaves

There are a mere ten pirates working in the hangar bay, making repairs to their ships. They whirl around in shock as fifty armed slaves charge into the cavernous room, immediately stunning all of the pirates. Qui-Gon only has to deflect two blaster bolts.

"Those of you who can fly, save the escape pods for those who can't. If you can fly, take a ship and head to the planet's surface." Qui-Gon orders. "Land at the city of Theed, and tell Queen Ilena that the Jedi sent you. We'll hold off the rest of the pirates as long as we can." With that, the two Jedi take up defensive stances at the entrance of the hangar bay, their lightsabers colorful beacons in the gloom.

All around the hangar bay, the slaves climb into the pirates' ships, ramshackle starfighters, and worn down shuttles.  
_There's not going to be enough escape pods for everyone; the pirates never maintain them, _Anakin realizes. He swiftly scans the area, looking for something he can fly. After a split-second of deliberation, he grabs Gianna's hand, leading her across the hangar bay.  
"Come on," he insists. _  
__I'm not going to let you end up stranded here, angel._  
"What- but I can't fly!" The handmaiden protests.  
Anakin points to a scratched purple ship, tucked away in a shadowed corner. "That's a two person starfighter- you can take the rear gunner's seat." he explains, "The astromech droid will help us fly."

Seconds later, they've made it to their chosen ship. Quickly, he pops open the clear canopy, and helps Gianna up onto the wing. Inside the starfighter are two pleather seats: one faces the back of their starfighter, and looks out over two impressive laser cannons; the second one is back-to-back with the first, and looks out over the nose of the ship. Gianna climbs into the one facing the back of the ship, rightfully assuming that it's the rear gunner's seat. Then Anakin jumps into the pilot's seat, closing the canopy above them as they hastily buckle their restraints.

Anakin scans the controls in front of him, trying to make sense of the layout. _  
__It's just like podracing, _he reassures himself, _just like podracing. _  
He looks over his shoulder, doing his best to decipher the controls in front of Gianna.  
"It looks like the frontal laser cannons are broken, so it's up to you to take down any pirates who come after us. You see that yoke in front of you?" he asks._  
__Let's hope I'm right about these controls..._  
Gianna locates the large stick. "Uh, yeah, yeah." she replies, a little flustered.  
"Use that to aim the rear laser cannons, and press the trigger to fire. Hold on a second, I'm gonna try and boot this thing up." he says, and presses a few buttons on his dashboard.

Something beeps nearby. Anakin glances up to see that, on the wing of the starfighter pressed against the hangar bay wall, a blue and white astromech droid is chittering excitedly.  
"Um, yeah, we've been trying to escape the pirates, too." Anakin replies.  
"You speak binary?" Gianna asks.  
"I grew up in a junk shop. You pick it up eventually." he says as he looks over to the droid. "Hey, buddy, what's your designation?"  
The droid beeps happily.  
"Nice to meet you, Artoo-Detoo." Anakin says. "Listen, do you think you could help us get out of here?"  
Artoo gives out a worried trill.  
"No, of course we won't give you back to the pirates. Right, Gianna?" Anakin asks.  
"Right." Gianna replies. She looks over her shoulder, and tentatively smiles at the droid.

"Okay, Artoo. How do we take this thing off standby?" Anakin asks.  
Artoo whistles, and Anakin subsequently flicks a series of switches. A low hum sounds through the ship._  
__Alright, now we're talking..._  
"Hey, G, how are those cannons doing?" Anakin asks.  
Gianna moves the yoke, and the cannons swivel in sync with her movements. "Looking good over here." she says.  
Anakin wraps his hands around the steering yoke. "Alright. This is where the fun begins." He turns in his seat to look at Gianna. "Brace yourself. This could be a rough flight."

Anakin begins to pull back on the yoke.  
"I'm sure you're flying isn't that ba-" Gianna starts to say. The purple starfighter rapidly ascends, nearly crashing into the ceiling.  
"-_oh, gods!" _Gianna gasps, her grip on the yoke now white-knuckled.  
Anakin swiftly pulls back on the yoke, sending the starfighter into a loop that almost drives the nose of the ship into the ceiling, and then the deck. The craft levels out, and he rapidly accelerates.

Anakin's starfighter shoots out of the hangar bay. He grins as he feels his stomach drop, the twists and turns as dizzying as the racing tracks on Tatooine.  
"You call this flying?!" Gianna exclaims.  
"More like pod racing. Hold on!" Anakin shouts back.

The craft dives down toward the lush planet of Naboo, zipping and rolling in between the slower escaping ships. As they clear the mess of inept pilots, Anakin slows down, and places the starfighter on a straight trajectory toward Naboo.  
"Alright, Artoo. Just keep us alive. It should be smooth sailing from here to Theed." Anakin says.  
Artoo beeps affirmatively.  
Gianna takes a deep breath, smoothing her messy hair. "I certainly hope so. Where did you learn to podrace, anyway?" She asks.  
"You'd be surprised what they let kids do on Tatooine. I've been racing for years."  
"You're telling me you were a champion podracer at nine years old?"  
"Mm-hmm. Won the Boonta Eve Classic that year. Not that I saw a cent of the winnings."  
"Get out of here."

Suddenly, an alarm sounds in the cockpit, and a scarlet display leaps up in front of both Anakin and Gianna's viewports.  
"Uh-oh." he says.  
"What's 'uh-oh?'" Gianna asks, trepidation clear in her tone.

Anakin swivels the ship around so he can face the _Marauder's Vengeance_. Five starfighters speed out of the _Vengeance _hangar bay- they're clearly manned by more competent pilots than the escaping slaves' ships.  
"Looks like five pirates made it through the hangar bay. They're charging their blaster cannons right now." Anakin grimly explains.  
"Oh, boy. Any chance they're not aiming at us?"

As if to answer her question, one of the slower, slave-manned ships is blown to pieces. The rest of the escaping slaves' ships jerkily speed in opposite directions.

"We've gotta help them." he says. Gianna nods, gripping her controls tighter.  
"Artoo, turn on the comm unit, see if we can reach any friends." Anakin orders.  
Artoo beeps negatively.  
"Looks like we're on our own for this one." Anakin announces, pressing his lips into a thin line.

Another ship is blown apart. Anakin begins to speed back toward the pirates.  
"I hope that Boonta Eve stuff wasn't just talk." Gianna warns,  
"I think you're about to find out. Artoo, put all power to the rear deflector shields."  
Artoo lets out a shrill whine.  
I know it's stupid; just do it, okay? Quick!" Anakin orders.  
"It'll be okay, Artoo." Gianna says reassuringly.  
Artoo lets out a long series of indignant beeps.  
"What did he say?" The handmaiden asks.  
"Yeah, not gonna translate that one. Here we go!"

As the other slaves' ships make a desperate run for Naboo, Anakin barrels at full-speed toward the five pirate starfighters. They send torrents of laser fire at him, and Anakin sends the starfighter into a dizzying spins to avoid the lasers._  
Come on, come on, you can do it! _he urges his ship.  
"Get ready to fire!" he tells Gianna.

At the last possible second, he swings the ship around in a half a turn, flashing the pirates his rear laser cannons. Gianna quickly sprays blaster fire into the line of pirates- she misses the first ship, but hits the second; a third ship tries to evade them but ends up flying toward Anakin's spiraling starfighter. Gianna hits the ship squarely on the nose with several lasers- and the pirate's starfighter explodes while the four remaining pirate ships zoom through the fireball.

Anakin dives straight down, trying to evade the pirates; he pushes down the nose of his starfighter, bringing it around in half a loop. He spins the craft so it's upright, and shoots around the left side of the _Marauder's Vengeance._  
"Alright, nice shot!" Anakin calls to Gianna. "What's their status, Artoo?"  
Artoo beeps frantically.  
"Gianna, we've got one down, three undamaged, and one with weakened frontal shields. Looks like we've gotta run for it."  
"We'll never make it to Naboo with them on our tail!" Gianna cries.  
"Exactly. If we want everyone else to make it to Naboo, we're gonna have to stall these pirates until the Jedi get out here."

Anakin pulls up, heading for the top of the _Vengeance_ as the enemy starfighters race around the corner of the pirate frigate.  
"Oh, I've got a bad feeling about this…." Gianna warns.  
"Come on, G, where's your sense of adventure?"  
"I think all your fancy flying shook it out of me."

Anakin dives across the thin, elongated body of the _Vengeance_; the pirates dip and weave behind him. The pirates shoot frantically toward the escaping slaves; Gianna fires back, all while Anakin twists the starfighter through every evasive maneuver he knows.

Gianna fires three times; one of her shots hits the wing of a pirate ship, and it's sent spiraling into the surface of the _Marauder's Vengeance__; _the enemy starfighter explodes on impact.  
"Got one more!" Gianna cries.  
Artoo cheers her on.  
"Three to go!" Anakin shouts.

The three pirates are rapidly gaining on them. The lead pirate fires, and several red lasers hit Anakin's starfighter. The stolen craft bucks and dips, and both slaves gasp as Anakin struggles to regain control of the starfighter.  
"There go our shields." Anakin says, eyeing the monitors near his viewport.

Two pirates break off from their path, moving to flank Anakin's starfighter; the other pirate stays directly behind the escapees' ship. Laser fire shoots all around them. Anakin dives, spins, and arcs away from the pirates, but he can't shake them. Gianna continues to fire at the pirates, and takes down one more- but the other two pirates are gaining on them with every second.  
"Artoo, can't this thing go any faster?!" Anakin shouts.  
Artoo beeps negatively, and shrieks as another laser hits the back of their starfighter. Alarms begin to blare. Anakin scans the space ahead of them, desperately searching for options._  
There has to be a way out! There has to be..._

And suddenly, time seems to slow as he spots his best option.

Up ahead, on top of the _Marauder's Vengeance, _are two parallel rows of laser turrets. The weapons are mounted on top of high walls, with an extremely narrow gap between them. _  
__If I turned the starfighter on its side... then maybe... _

But there's one more problem: the laser turrets are rotating to face his starfighter... and they're also starting to tilt down, slowly moving to fill the gap between the high walls. In effect, he's heading toward a collapsing tunnel.

Gianna looks up to a display on her side of the cockpit, and sees where Anakin is heading.  
"Anakin Skywalker, don't you dare."  
"Sorry, your highness." he replies, bringing the throttle to full spped.

His starfighter shoots toward the collapsing tunnel; Artoo screams in terror. Anakin turns the ship on its side, and zips beneath the first pair of laser turrets just as the slow machines align. The lasers fire a split-second too late, and instead of shooting Anakin, the lasers demolish one of the pirate starfighters on his tail.

Anakin's ship shoots through the steadily collapsing tunnel. Pair after pair of lasers crashes down just behind him.  
"We're not gonna make it!" Gianna cries, squeezing her eyes shuts. Artoo shrieks in agreement.  
_  
I can do this... I can do this..._  
Anakin's heart pounds as he determinedly shoots through the death trap. The remaining pirate ship matches Anakin's vector, flying above the tunnel at full speed.

Anakin emerges from the tunnel, and immediately swerves away from the enemy starfighter above them. Gianna shoots at the starfighter, but the pirate aptly dives away and returns fire. The lasers hit Anakin's starfighter on the wing, sending it spiraling away from the _Marauder's Vengeance_. The pirate moves in for the kill-

-and is blasted to bits by green lasers. The enemy starfighter explodes in a brilliant ball of fire as two red Jedi starfighters swoop down toward the escapees.  
"You two are just a magnet for trouble, aren't you?" A familiar voice comes through the comm unit of Anakin's starfighter.  
"Obi-Wan!" Anakin and Gianna exclaim.

A tow cable shoots out from each of the Jedi starfighters, and one lands on each wing of Anakin's starfighter.

Behind them, the _Marauder's Vengenace _finally jumps to hyperspace.

"Are you two alright?" Qui-Gon asks over their comm unit.  
"Yeah, no thanks to Anakin's flying." Gianna replies.  
"Hey!" Anakin protests.  
Artoo twitters madly.  
"Now don't go taking her side here." Anakin shoots back.  
Gianna laughs. "Attaboy, Artoo." she says.  
"Just sit tight. We'll tow you down to the planet's surface." Obi-Wan says over their ship's comm unit.

Anakin sits back with a sigh of relief, watching the lush planet of Naboo grow larger in his viewport. He twists around to talk to Gianna.  
"You see?"  
"What?" she asks.  
Anakin flashes her a cocky grin. "I knew we'd be fine."

Gianna sends him a look. "I hate you," she flatly replies, and unbuckles her restraints.  
"Hey, you know that's not a good idea-" Anakin starts to say.  
He's cut off as Gianna twists around in her seat, and leans forward to peck Anakin on the cheek.  
"But you're my hero," Gianna finishes, a mischievous smile on her lips.

The handmaiden goes back to her seat and straps herself in, while Anakin blushes, raising a hand to touch his cheek. His heart is still fluttering._  
__If the rest of the trip to Naboo goes like this, _he thinks, _then it's going to be a _very _good trip..._

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	6. The Chosen One

In the courtyard outside of Theed Palace, the burned remains of Naboo's capital city are seen: storefronts are scorched, gardens are trampled, and there's a gaping hole in the east wing of the palace itself.

But despite the tragedy, the mood is triumphant. A welcoming party stands in the square, made up everyone from freed slaves to Naboo palace staff- even Queen Ilena herself. They cheer as the Jedi's starfighters touch down in the courtyard, with Anakin's commandeered starfighter suspended between them.

The Jedi quickly remove the tow cables from Anakin's starfighter; then the two men jump out of their starfighters and move to speak with Queen Ilena. She's fully dressed as royalty, in a elaborate feathered gown and ceremonial face paint. She cuts a startling contrast to her ruinied surroundings as she awaits the Jedi, stoically posed by a bubbling fountain in the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Anakin pops opens the transparisteel canopy on his ship, and clambers onto the its wing. He stands for a moment, and offers his hand to Gianna like a perfect gentleman. She beams, and lets him help her down, before he jumps down himself. But his feet have barely touched the ground when he pulls her into his arms, and twirls her though the air. Gianna laughs, holding him tightly- and Anakin could swear she's almost blushing.

But a moment later, she looks over his shoulder- Anakin realizes that behind him, the Naboo Queen is waiting for them. So hand-in-hand, the two of them cross the courtyard, approaching the Queen and her entourage.

Anakin swallows tightly. He's never met a queen- or any real royalty- before. _  
__What if I say the wrong thing and she decides to behead me?_  
He lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when Gianna takes the lead.

"Your highness." Gianna says, sinking into a deep curtsy. Anakin picks up on the cue and bows, hoping that's the proper protocol.  
Queen Ilena nods to both of them. "I owe you my freedom, if not my life, Gianna." The Queen says in her monotone voice. "For that I am eternally grateful."  
Gianna beams, and inclines her head. "I live to serve, my Queen."

Then the Queen turns to Anakin. "Anakin Skywalker." she flatly says.  
His blue eyes widen, and he tries not to look too nervous. "Y-yes, your highness?" he stammers.  
"According to these Jedi Knights, you helped them save my handmaiden and my friend." Queen Xenia intones. She dips her head in a slight nod. "For this, I am in your debt."  
Anakin bows again, very deeply. "Thank you, your highness."

"There will be a banquet this evening in honor of the four of you, in what remains of the palace." The Queen declares, looking from Anakin and Gianna, to the Jedi. "I hope you all will attend."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan exchange a glance. The padawan bends his head toward his master's.  
"We still have to inform the Council about the Sith Lord," Obi-Wan murmurs.  
"Yes… and until the Council sends us reinforcements, it would be wise for us to stay in public spaces, where the Sith won't dare to attack." Qui-Gon replies in a low voice.  
"The longer we stay on this world, the longer the Sith Lord stays. We're eye-witnesses. He can't risk us surviving."  
"So much the better. We'll call for reinforcements and defeat the Sith here. Perhaps once and for all."

Qui-Gon turns to Queen Ilena, and speaks at a normal volume. "We would be honored to attend, your Highness." The Jedi Knight declares.  
"You are my honored guests." Queen Xenia says in her monotone voice. "Please, come into the palace and clean yourselves up. I will summon you for the banquet when the time arrives."

The Queen and her entourage ascend the sweeping steps of Theed Palace, followed by the four heroes.

* * *

The Jedi, still in their dirty, torn tunics, step into the palace's communications room. Obi-Wan scans the dark, rubble-strewn room, then glances to the empty hall outside.  
"This room's a bit too isolated for my taste." The padawan says.  
"We'll keep this brief." Qui-Gon replies.

Qui-Gon presses a few buttons on the wide, circular table in the center of the room. A few moments later, a large blue hologram springs to life atop it. The glowing figures illuminate the dim room, towering over Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

The Jedi Masters in the hologram are arranged in a semicircle; all are seated in red chairs appropriate for their species.  
Grandmaster Yoda speaks first. "Knight Jinn. Missing, you have been."  
Qui-Gon bows humbly. "Forgive my absence, masters. We come before the High Council with a grave matter."  
"Speak, speak," Yoda says, nodding his wrinkled green head. "No time to waste, I sense."  
"We've tracked down Padawan Ka'Lee Ussi's assassin, masters." Qui-Gon says.

The Council exchanges some significant glances. A female torgruta, Shaak Ti, speaks up.  
"Knight Jinn, the Council concluded that Padawan Ka'Lee's death was, while a tragedy, merely a suicide." Shaak Ti says. "Why must you continue to search for answers when"

"Forgive me, masters, but the Council is wrong." Obi-Wan suddenly breaks in. His stomach tightens- he knows he shouldn't break protocol like this; it's the height of disrespect. _  
__Still, _he reflects, _what's done is done. Nothing to do but go through with this._

The stunned Council members all stare at Obi-Wan as he continues.  
"I thought my master was misguided," the padawan says, but I- " he looks to Qui-Gon apologetically, "I was the misguided one. Qui-Gon was right. There was a Sith assassin here, onboard the _Marauder's Vengeance_, and he nearly killed us both."

Gasps and murmurs resound through the High Council.

"The pirates onboard threw us in the brig." Obi-Wan continues. "There, two guards were murdered in front of our eyes- the Sith Lord used the Force to strangle them. But we saw nothing at that point, because…" he trails off, looking to Qui-Gon for help.  
Sure enough, Qui-Gon comes through for him. "The Sith Lord is skilled in the rare talent of Force Invisibility." Qui-Gon says. "Obi-Wan and I fought him, and nearly lost."

One of the Jedi Masters, Mace Windu, leans forward in his cushioned chair. "You defeated the Sith Lord?" he asks. To say that skepticism laces his tone would be an understatement.  
"I wish that were so, master." Qui-Gon replies. "We wounded him, at which point he retreated- but it was not a fatal wound."  
"You say the assassin was invisible. What makes you think he was a Sith?" Windu probes. He steeples his fingers in front of him, narrowing his eyes as he contemplates the possibilities.  
Obi-Wan suppresses a shudder as he replies. "I saw him, Master Windu. The Sith was unable to remain invisible while battling us. His face was hidden, but I saw his black robes, and his red lightsaber." The padawan's voice drops to a whisper as he recalls the battle... the unnatural chill that swept over him, the ice that seemed to pierce his chest...  
"And I sensed the Dark Side emanating from him." Obi-Wan whispers. "It was… cold. Terrible."

More glances and whispers are exchanged amongst the High Council.  
"Impossible. The High Council would have sensed the return of the Sith." Windu declares, straightening up in his seat.  
"Perhaps, Master Windu, Kibh Jeen's last words were not mere babbling." Qui-Gon replies.

Grandmaster Yoda slowly nods, his ears flattening. "Mmm…. _'Always two, there are. No more, no less. A master, and an apprentice.'_ Unclear, it is, if Jeen's last words were a threat, or a warning."  
"Are we to believe the dying words of a Dark Jedi?" Windu asks, clearly not expecting an answer.  
"It is possible that one master and one apprentice could remain hidden from the Council." Qui-Gon says. He looks to Mace Windu pointedly. "Perhaps the Sith waited to strike until members of the Council began to toy with the Dark Side, and blinded themselves to the greater darkness emerging."

Mace Windu grits his teeth. "If you are referring to my use of Vapaad,_ Knight_ Jinn, then may I remind you that I only channel my enemies' darkness back to them."  
"And in doing so, Master, you touch the darkness yourself." Qui-Gon evenly replies- but there is a fire in his ice-blue eyes.

Yoda raps his cane sharply on the temple floor. "Enough! The issue, this is not. Our focus is the Sith."  
Qui-Gon bows his head in deference. Mace Windu is stoically silent, looking down on Qui-Gon.

"I understand the Council's hesitation. We all wish to believe the Sith were defeated." Qui-Gon says at last.  
"Perhaps we would remain more open to your theories, Qui-Gon, if you provided evidence alongside them." Windu replies, spreading his hands like a diplomat.  
"Of course, master." Qui-Gon replies. "May I present Padawan Ka'Lee's missing lightsaber."

Qui-Gon unhooks the second lightsaber from his belt, and ignites the blue blade. He holds it out for the Council to see.

This time, the Council is shocked into silence.

"It's hers." Shaak Ti whispers, her orange face uncharacteristically pale. "I recognize it. But… how?"  
Qui-Gon closes down the blade. "The Sith Lord taunted us with it." he explains. "We were weaponless, but he gave us this in order to fight him."  
"Why would he do such a thing?" Shaak Ti asks, her eyes still wide with horror.  
"The Sith thrive on fear, on control and bloodlust. No doubt he wished to experience all of this by battling us." Qui-Gon says.

Mace Windu exchanges a glance with Grandmaster Yoda. Yoda closes his eyes, his ears flattening once more.  
"Mmm… great things in motion, I sense." The alien murmurs. "Great things… or terrible ones…."

"I propose we send members of the Council to investigate your claims, Qui-Gon." Windu interjects.  
"Please, Master Windu, send as many as you can." Obi-Wan says. "Every Jedi is in grave danger as long as the Sith lives."  
"I will go." Shaak Ti volunteers. "I was a mentor of Ka'Lee's… perhaps there is more justice for her than I let myself believe."  
"You can expect Master Ti by tomorrow morning, Qui-Gon." Windu says.  
"Thank you, masters." Qui-Gon replies. "We will await your arrival."

"May the Force be with us all." Windu says.  
Qui-Gon bows his head. "And with you, masters."

The Council ends the transmission.

* * *

It is just after dusk, and a darkness settles over the warm air of the Naboo forest. A Sith Lord stands beneath the trees, and beneath his dark cloak, the face of a red zabrack is just barely visible. In his palm stands the blue, holographic figure of Darth Sidious, who wears a black cloak nearly identical to his apprentice's.  
"Darth Maul…" Sidious begins. Displeasure seeps into his lanquid tone. "It seems the Jedi Council has been informed of your presence."  
"Forgive me, master." Maul says, bowing his head. "I shall not fail again. The Jedi and his padawan will be dead by the next nightfall."  
"Qui-Gon Jinn is not as blind as the rest of the Jedi." Sidious sharply replies. "Only once he is dead can we reveal ourselves without risk of failure."  
A feral grin spreads across Maul's tattooed face. "At last, we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last, we will have revenge."

"You must act swiftly. Master Shaak Ti is heading to Naboo to investigate your presence." Sidious says. "I have coerced the Trade Federation into blockading Naboo; their fleet will delay Shaak Ti's arrival, but not for long. Strike down Jinn and his padawan before Shaak Ti arrives… and do not fail me again."  
"As you wish, master." Maul replies.

"And there is one last matter," Sidious continues. A smile is smeared across his thin lips. "I have a close friend, Hugo Damask, who currently resides on Naboo. He has brought me good news." The foul smile widens. "The Chosen One is there."  
"The One the Jedi prophecised?" Maul breathes.  
"We shall see..." Sidious answers. "But if the boy is to be turned to our purpose, he must be separated from Qui-Gon Jinn."

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED…._


	7. Lady Amidala

The last rays of sunlight filter through the throne room's high windows. The circular room overlooks the spectacular waterfalls of Theed, and the verdant cliffs that they cascade off of. Standing in the center of such a beautiful palace, on such a beautiful world, Anakin Skywalker could swear he's in heaven._  
__In heaven with an angel, _he thinks dizzily, glancing over to Gianna.

She looks absolutely stunning-_  
__Well, of course she does, she can wear rags and still convince everyone she's a Queen, _Anakin recalls with a small smile.  
But- more specifically- this evening, Gianna looks stunning in a flowing blue ballgown. The back is cut very low, revealing the three long, red scars she received from a pirate's lightwhip that morning; her hair is laced with white flowers, and her dark curls fall over her shoulder like a silken waterfall.

The Jedi standing beside them draw considerably less of Anakin's attention. Qui-Gon and his padawan, Obi-Wan..._  
_ _Kenobi, that's it. Obi-Wan Kenobi. _(Anakin had just learned the padawan's name this evening).  
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were dressed very simply- they weren't wearing dress tunics or anything nice, just their Jedi uniforms, which had been cleaned and repaired by the palace staff.

As for Anakin himself, he'd been a little overwhelmed by Queen Ilena's gift. The Queen had sent her own tailor to ensure Anakin had a pair of fine clothes to wear to the evening banquet. It was the only time in his life he'd been able to choose his own possessions.

Anakin runs his fingers across the silken edge of his tunic. He'd picked a simple black fabric, hoping it would be the least likely to show stains or wear. His dark slacks are made of the same fabric, and he has a new pair of brown boots to go along with it.

Pride compells him to straighten his shoulders.  
_If mom could see me now...  
_  
The four heroes- the Jedi, Anakin, and Gianna- stand before the marble dias that supports Queen Ilena's throne.  
"For your service, we are eternally grateful." Ilena proclaims, her voice ringing through the chamber. The small audience gathered there- mostly palace staff, handmaidens, and a few Nubian politicians- breaks into applause. Then, as they'd been instructed to, the Jedi and Anakin take three steps back. After a moment, the Queen waves Gianna forward.

The handmaiden ascends the marble dias, and kneels at the foot of the Queen's throne.  
Ilena rises, placing her scepter on one of Gianna's shoulders. "Your scars will fade over time, but your name will not." The Queen proclaims in her monotone voice. She presses her scepter to each of Gianna's shoulders, then says, "I name you Lady _'Amidala,'_ of the Invasion of Theed."  
Gianna beams, and bows her head as the Queen sits back on her throne.

On the main floor of the throne room, a handmaiden, Malia, leans over to Anakin.  
"They're Nubian words." she whispers. "'_Amia'_ means beam, like a beam of light, and _'dala'_ means rope."  
Anakin smiles and whispers back. "Her name- Amidala- means 'lightwhip?'"  
"Lucky. Not just anyone gets honored with a warrior's name, you know." Malia sighs a bit wistfully. "It's meant to immortalize an act of great courage- it's a pretty old custom, back from when when Queens had proper knights. Not just a volunteer security force."

On the raised dias, Queen Ilena begins to applaud, and the assembly in the throne room applauds with her. Lady Amidala curtsies and gracefully steps back to the coral-colored floor.

* * *

In the palace's grand dining room, laughter and music fill the air. The guests sit at the long, wooden banquet table, and Anakin's more than pleased to be seated beside Gianna.

"If you don't mind me asking, your highness-" Anakin jovially begins.  
Gianna laughs. "Would you quit calling me that?"  
"Come on, mi'lady," Anakin lightly replies, "I was just trying to ask why your parents," he nods to a middle-aged couple across the table from them, "don't call you Gianna."  
"Oh, it's not my birth name." Gianna replies as she nibbles on a bit of fruit. "All the handmaidens take new names when they decide to serve the Queen- right now, the Queen's name is Ilena, so I chose Gianna. The other handmaidens chose names like Malia, or Tellae'a."

Anakin frowns slightly. "Why do they all sound like the Queen's name?"  
Gianna leans close to him, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "It's just in case we accidentally call a decoy by her real name- if anyone overhears, we can just insist we said 'Ilena.'" She nudges him playfully. "But I never told you that."  
"Told me what?" Anakin asks far too innocently, prompting another laugh from Gianna.

* * *

A that same moment, Darth Maul marches through the corridors of Theed Palace, easily avoiding the guards.

* * *

Within the dining hall, the banquet guests converse, completely unaware of the Sith Lord's nearby presence.

Gianna is continuing her chat with Anakin. "My birth name's actually Padmé," she confides, "Padmé Naberrie." Her brown eyes sparkle. "But I suppose it's Lady Padmé Amidala now."  
Anakin shares her smile. "I think it suits you."  
"Thank you. I think my mom's a little bitter, though." she says. "She didn't exactly picture her baby girl growing up to be a bodyguard. I think she wanted me to be something safe and boring, like a painter or a housewife."  
"You, boring? I don't think that's possible."

* * *

A Naboo guard turns the corner, and spots Darth Maul.  
"Hey, what are you-" the man starts to say- but his words devolve into a senseless gurgling as Darth Maul raises his hand, and calmly strangles the guard with the Force.

* * *

Within the dining hall, at the end of the table, Queen Ilena speaks in low, anxious tones with Qui-Gon Jinn.  
"For months, the Trade Federation has imposed taxes on my people." The Queen whispers. "The cost of importing medicine has nearly doubled."  
"Master Jedi, surely there's something you can do." Sio Bibble, the Queen's advisor, interjects.  
Qui-Gon sighs deeply, far from unsympathetic. "I'm sorry for all you and your people have endured, your highness," the Knight says with genuine compassion. "But the Trade Federation's actions are still completely legal. Until the Federation uses undue force, there's nothing I'm able to do."

Midway down the table, Anakin grows quiet, idling picking at his food.  
"My mom's... amazing." he says, voice shaking slightly. "She raised me on her own, and she's always taken care of me- even when it got her in trouble with our master." He pauses, sharply stabbing a particularly offensive piece of nuutra fruit. "A few months ago, our master Watto lost too many credits betting on podracing. He sold me to pirates to pay off his debt." he says flatly- but anger still seeps into his tone like venom. "I haven't seen my mom since then."

Gently, Padmé sets a hand on his arm. "That's awful. I'm so sorry." she murmurs. The handmaiden pulls her hand away. "Do you know where your mom might be now?"  
"Probably still working in Watto's junk shop. The scum wouldn't want to lose his only other slave," he spits. "And here I am, eating dinner in a palace while my mom's still scrubbing floors on that dustball of a planet."

"Anakin..." Padmé softly begins, "what if tomorrow we ask for an audience with the Queen? She really is grateful for your help; I'm sure she'd loan us a shuttle and a couple of guards if we asked. We could go to Tatooine, and look for your mother."  
Anakin looks up from his plate, blue eyes wide. Hesitantly, he takes Padmé's hand. "Thank you." he says, voice a bit hoarse with emotion. "I'll talk to Qui-Gon, too. He asked if I knew anything about the pirates' trade routes. I think he wants to help the other slaves out there, if he can."

A servant passes by their seats- and stumbles, accidentally spilling her pitcher of wine on Padmé and another handmaiden, Malia.  
"Oh!" The servant gasps. "I'm so sorry, mi'lady-"  
"Oh, blast- here, don't worry," Padmé says, and rights the spilled pitcher. "I'll just go get changed." She looks to the other guests, politely adding, "if you'll excuse me."

With that, Padmé and Malia leave the dining room.

* * *

Within a corridor of Theed Palace, Darth Maul peers around a corner, and patiently watches the large, ornate doors open. Laughter and music flow out from the room behind the wooden doors. Malia and Padmé walk through them, leaving the dining room behind and entering the corridor.

Darth Maul flickers in and out of sight for a moment, then turns completely invisible.

* * *

Within the dining room, Qui-Gon breaks off his conversation with the Queen. He looks over to Obi-Wan.  
"I thought I sensed something too, Master." Obi-Wan says.  
"I have a bad feeling about this." Qui-Gon murmurs. He looks to the Queen. "Excuse us, your highness. We'll only be a moment."

The two Jedi stand, and leave the dining room.

* * *

Malia and Padmé, idly chatting in Nubian, walk through the wide halls of Theed Palace. As they travels, the halls slowly narrow; guests trickle away until they're completely alone. They turn one final corner, arriving at a dead-end hall, and enter a large common room. They split off to find their bedrooms within it.

* * *

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan rush through the same halls the handmaidens crossed through through moments ago. The two Jedi skid to a stop at an intersection.  
"This way!" Qui-Gon commands. He takes off down a connecting hall, Obi-Wan on his heels.

* * *

Padmé, now wearing an orange handmaiden dress, hums softly to herself as she pulls her hair up into a bun. Malia (still in her orange, stained handmaiden dress) languidly enters Padmé's bedroom.  
"Do you mind if I try on your dress for a minute?" Malia calls, pulling her hair out of its tight bun.  
"You're going to make us awfully late," Padmé warns.  
Malia sends her a knowing smile. "Worried Anakin won't wait for you?"  
A blush creeps up the other handmaiden's cheeks. "Just put on that blasted dress and get out of here," Padmé shoots back, muffling a few girlish giggles.

Giggling herself, Malia scoops up the blue dress and disappears behind a changing screen.

* * *

A few moments later, Malia steps into the dormitory common room, wearing Padmé's blue dress. She admires herself in the full-length mirror beside the fireplace.

Suddenly, the hum of a lightsaber is heard, and Malia is bathed in red light. She turns around, and screams in terror.

* * *

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon sprint through the halls even faster at the sound of Malia's piercing scream.

* * *

The scream is also heard in the dining room. Within seconds, chaos erupts.

Four guards and four handmaidens immediately escort Queen Ilena through a secret passage in the wall. More guards rush into the room, and quickly usher the guests out of the dining room.

But the remaining handmaidens rush through the palace halls, following the sound of the scream.

As soon as he can, Anakin ducks away from the guards and follows the handmaidens.

* * *

When they arrive at the handmaidens' common room, several handmaidens scream as they see Malia's body. Anakin is at the back of the crowd, and he struggles to see inside; he only has a glimpse of Malia's body before Qui-Gon covers it with his cloak.

Anakin bursts into the room. "No! Padmé-"  
"Anakin!" Padmé cries, running to him. "Anakin, I'm here, I'm alright-" She rushes into his arms. He holds her tightly.

"And it seems the assassin was fooled as well." Qui-Gon murmurs, almost to himself.  
"Master?" Obi-Wan asks.  
"I'll explain later." The master replies. "Take care of Lady Amidala and the other handmaidens. I need to speak to Anakin."

Qui-Gon motions for Anakin to follow him out of the room. Reluctantly, Anakin steps away from Padmé and follows him.

* * *

A short walk later, Qui-Gon steps outside, onto one of the palace's many balconies. Anakin quietly follows him.

The Jedi Knight motions for Anakin to sit on a stone bench beside him. They're both silent for a moment as Qui-Gon looks out over the stars.

"Master Qui-Gon?" Anakin tentatively asks. "What's going on?"  
"I wanted to speak with you, Anakin, because Malia may not have been the assassin's target." Qui-Gon finally says. "I fear he meant to kill Lady Amidala, but mistook her for the other handmaiden."  
Anakin feels fear flood his chest like ice. "But... why?" he asks, heart pounding. "And what do I have to do with any of this?"

"I know who the assassin is, based on the weapon he used: a lightsaber." Qui-Gon says.  
"A lightsaber?" Anakin asks. Then, the pieces click into place: "You mean- you think he's a Jedi?"  
"I almost wish that were so. No." Qui-Gon sighs heavily. "The assassin is what is known as a Sith. Perhaps you've heard of them.  
"Sort of. My mom would tell me stories about the Jedi and the Force when I was kid." Anakin slowly replies. "But... why would a Sith Lord want to kill a handmaiden?"

"You care about Padmé, don't you?" Qui-Gon asks, the Knight's blue eyes seeming to pierce Anakin's soul.  
Anakin feels his face begin to burn. He lowers his eyes, one hand awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "I... I do." he admits. "She's… beautiful, and kind, and- and brave…" he cuts himself off, staring at his boots. "Why does it matter?"

"I'm sorry to answer your question with a question, Anakin… but did you ever know your father?" Qui-Gon inquires, switching topics yet again.  
"No." Anakin shortly replies.  
"Did your mother ever tell you about him?"  
"No, I-" Anakin tries not to raise his voice.  
_It's not Qui-Gon's fault that he doesn't know, _the former slave tries to remind himself.  
"Look, my mom's been a slave all her life, alright?" Anakin tersely explains as he stands up. "A lot of things could have happened to her. She didn't want to talk about my dad, so I quit asking."

Anakin crosses his arms, pacing over to the balcony railing. "She just… she told me that I didn't have a father." he admits. "I was ten years old when she told me. Old enough to know it couldn't be true." he stares out at the gardens their balcony overlooks, refusing to meet Qui-Gon's eyes. "I figured… whatever happened, it was bad, and she didn't want me to know."

Qui-Gon gets up, as well, and moves to stand beside Anakin. The Jedi pauses, looking out at the gardens.  
"Master Qui-Gon, what's this all about?" Anakin asks again.  
"You said your mother told you stories of the Jedi. Did she ever tell you the prophecy of the Chosen One?" Qui-Gon cryptically replies.  
"No, I've never heard of it."  
"It's one of the oldest prophecies of Mortis, held in ancient holocrons stored in the Jedi archives on Coruscant." Qui-Gon explains. "It says that 'In the time of great despair, a child shall be born who will destroy the Sith, and bring balance to the Force.'"

"Bring balance to the Force? What does that mean?" Anakin asks.  
Qui-Gon gestures to the lamps in the dark gardens. "Most beings view balance the way they view the natural world: light balances shadow, and so the Light Side should balance the Dark." The Jedi Knight says.  
"My mom never told me about the Light or Dark Side." Anakin replies, brow knit in confusion. "She always said that the Jedi and Sith fought because of how they used the Force. The Jedi only used it for defense, but the Sith tried to use it to control others."  
"And your mother's words were true." Qui-Gon affirms. "While the Jedi use the Light Side for knowledge and defense- never to attack- the Sith seek to control others, and the Force itself, by using the Dark Side. "  
"And… the Light and Dark Side, they're not meant to be balanced equally, like light and shadow?" Anakin asks, looking up to the Jedi Knight.  
"The Dark Side has nothing to do with balance." Qui-Gon answers. "Its greed acts like a cancer upon the Living Force- and the Sith are its chief agents. They destroy the balance, and bring only despair."

Qui-Gon pauses, and looks over to Anakin. "And there is one last piece of the Chosen One prophecy, not written down, but believed by many wise and great Jedi throughout the ages." The Knight says.  
"What is it?" Anakin asks. Something about the Knight's eyes is... unsettling. Like there's more going on here than Qui-Gon's telling him.  
"The Chosen One will surely be a vessel of pure energy. Someone brought into existence by the Force itself." Qui-Gon pauses, his eyes on Anakin. "Perhaps, someone who would have no father."

It takes Anakin a moment to understand what Qui-Gon is saying.  
"But I-" Anakin laughs in disbelief. "I-I'm just a slave, I can't even use the Force-"  
"Not consciously, no." Qui-Gon says.  
"What?" Anakin asks, bewildered.

"On Captain Rathon's ship, you and Padmé hid from me inside of a turbolift. And in that moment, I couldn't sense your presence- nor could I sense Padmé's." Qui-Gon explains. "I had no idea anyone was in the turbolift until you walked into the hall. I believe you unconsciously used the Force to shield your presence."  
Mind reeling, Anakin drops back onto the stone bench. "That's- that's a coincidence." he insists.  
"And you proved to be an exceptional pilot today." Qui-Gon presses. "I hear you're a podracer, aren't you?"  
"Yes, sir." Anakin numbly responds. He couldn't... he couldn't be the Chosen One, could he? This had to be some sort of dream. It was all too surreal.  
"And what normal human being could survive a podrace? It's unheard of." Qui-Gon gently insists. "You must have Jedi reflexes if you race pods."

Anakin is silent, staring out into the stars._  
__Don't get your hopes up, _he cautions himself. _Any minute now, Obi-Wan's going to pop out laughing, telling you it's all some sick Jedi joke...  
__But... maybe? Maybe...  
__No other humans race pods. That's true.  
__I can't be the Chosen One. Can I?  
__But... maybe I can train as a Jedi. Just maybe..._

"There's a simple test we can perform to know the truth." Qui-Gon says, breaking into the boy's thoughts. "Give me your hand."  
Heart pounding, Anakin hesitantly does so. Qui-Gon pulls out his comlink- then pricks Anakin's finger with it.  
"Ow!" Anakin protests, mentally swearing in a variety of languages. "What was that for?"

Qui-Gon ignores him for the moment, instead choosing to speak into his comlink. "Obi-Wan..."  
"Yes, master?" Obi-Wan's voice crackles back over the comm unit.  
"Make an analysis of this blood sample I'm sending you. I need a midichlorian count."  
"Wait a minute..." Obi-Wan replies. "Alright. But there must be something wrong with the transmission."  
"Here's a signal check." Qui-Gon responds.  
"Strange. The transmission seems to be in good order, but the reading's off the chart...over twenty thousand. Even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high!" Obi-Wan exclaims.  
"No Jedi has." Qui-Gon says, almost to himself.  
"What does it mean?"  
"I'll have to explain later," Qui-Gon replies, and with that, he ends the call.

"Master Qui-Gon... what are you talking about?" Anakin asks, almost exasperated by the Jedi's secrecy. "What are midichlorians?"  
"They are an imperfect, if useful, way of testing Force-sensitivity. Midichlorians are a microcopic lifeform that resides within all living cells and communicates with the Force." Qui-Gon replies.  
"So... it's... they create the Force?" Anakin asks, clearly struggling.  
"No. It's important to remember that your strength in the Force creates your high midichlorian count- not the other way around. Midichlorians are simply an indicator of your strength in the Force, and a medium to connect with it- not the cause of it."

"But... Master, I still don't understand. What does any of this have to do with Padmé?" Anakin asks, an edge of desperation in his tone.  
"Anakin, from the moment I met you, I knew I had encountered a powerful vergeance in the Force. It doesn't take a midichlorian test for me to see that you are the Chosen One." Qui-Gon replies. "And it doesn't take much to see how you feel about Padmé. This explains why the Sith Lord tried to kill her. If I sensed your strength in the Force, the Sith surely did, as well." The Jedi Knight pauses, perhaps considering how to word his teachings. "Emotions such as pain, fear, and anger- even grief- can be powerful catalysts. Powerful enough to lure even the strongest Jedi to the Dark Side."

Anakin feels his blood run cold. "You mean... Padmé's in danger because of me." he whispers as the realization hits him. "I'm sorry, Master, I can't stay here. I have to leave the palace; I have to stay away from Padmé-"  
Anakin jumps up, but Qui-Gon grabs his arm.  
"Anakin, our meeting was not a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident. I was meant to train you. I am sure of it." The Knight insists, his conviction clearly ringing through his voice. But he lets go of Anakin.

Anakin backs away from the Jedi. The boy shakes his head, almost struggling to breathe. "Master... I'm sorry. I can't. Not if it means people are going to die because of me."  
"And if you refuse to fight the Sith? How many Jedi will die because of you? How many other innocent people?"

Anakin freezes. "Master... if I do this... if I train as a Jedi..." he slowly says. "Can you promise me that Padmé will be safe? And my mom, too, wherever she is now?"  
"I cannot." Qui-Gon replies. Anakin feels his stomach drop.  
"I will do all I can," the Knight continues, "but I cannot control the universe." Qui-Gon pauses, his blue eyes studying the boy. "I do not expect your answer yet, Anakin. For now, there are more immediate issues. The Sith assassin is still at large, so it may be best to escort Lady Amidala and her family to a spaceport, and see them safely off-world."

"Can I go with you? To say goodbye to her?" Anakin asks. He feels an ache run through his chest at the thought._  
I'm never going to see Padmé again...__  
But it has to be like this. To keep her safe. _

"You may," Qui-Gon answers him. "That is, if Lady Amidala will ever agree to leave her queen." With that, Qui-Gon heads back into the palace.

With a heavy heart, Anakin follows him.

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	8. Time to Leave

Two guards keep watch in the main hangar bay of Theed Palace.

Darth Maul- his face hidden by a black cloak- enters the hangar bay.  
The Sith Lord passes by one of the guards, and casually waves his hand. "You have seen no one."  
"We've… seen no one." The guard repeats in a daze.

Darth Maul moves around the security guards, and approaches a large, dark landspeeder. He briefly opens the hood of the speeder, and sprinkles a fine white powder across the engine. He closes the hood of the speeder, and swiftly exits through a small, nearby hidden passage in the walls.

Seconds later, Padmé and her family- her mother, Jobal; father, Ruwee; and older sister, Sola- enter the hangar bay. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin follow.

Padmé's family piles into the back of landspeeder- the same one Darth Maul sabotaged moments ago. The Jedi and Anakin climb in after that.

The landspeeder, with no lights on, races through a wide hidden passage in the wall. The wall slides shut behind it, and two volunteer security guards take up their posts in front of it. The speeder emerges outside the palace gates, through a hidden passage that slides shut behind it once the dark landspeeder races past, heading out into the pouring rain.

* * *

A hidden passage opens in the walls surrounding the palace. The landspeeder races out of it, and into pouring rain. After a moment, the passage slides shut behind it.

* * *

The remote landing pad is built like a fortress, and protected by an ion shield- which doubles as a method of keeping out the pouring rain. It's empty, save for one expensive Nubian ship. The Jedi, Anakin, and the Naberries emerge from their landspeeder to find four Coruscanti bodyguards waiting for them. Senator Palpatine (perhaps fifty years old, displaying graying hair and elaborate red robes) stands in the center of the security guards, and steps forward with a warm smile on his face.

The Jedi bow as they approach, and Palpatine graciously nods.  
"Master Jedi. I'm so glad to see that you've arrived safely." Palpatine says. "We are indebted to you for your bravery. And you, young Skywalker, and Lady Amidala. We will watch your careers with great interest."  
Qui-Gon approaches him, brow creased in concern. "Senator Palpatine. I'm afraid we weren't expecting you."  
"I heard Queen Ilena was making arrangements to see the Naberrie family offworld. I decided I ought to be the one to escort them." Palpatine smoothly replies. "My private ship is much more secure than the average starliner."  
The Jedi Knight inclines his head slightly. "A very generous offer, Senator."

"It's really no trouble. I was headed offworld anyway, after the Queen contacted me." Palpatine says.  
"Has something happened?" Obi-Wan asks.  
The senator sighs deeply, his steely eyes clouded with unknown troubles. "It seems that after another argument over taxation, the Trade Federation cut off all contact with the Queen." Palpatine gravely replies. "Then part of the Federation fleet left its post without any public explanation. I'm headed to Coruscant now to try and resolve this issue in the Senate before things truly get out of hand."  
"You don't think the Trade Federation will attempt an invasion, Senator?" Obi-Wan asks.

Padmé gasps softly. Anakin steps closer to her, and speaks very quietly.  
"They can't be serious." The boy whispers, shaking his head. "Invasion? The Republic will stop it before anything happens."  
"I know, I know." Padmé hastily responds. "But first, there would have to be a motion to discuss it in the Senate, then a vote on the issue- which could be days later- and then they form an investigative committee, and…"  
"How long would all of that take?"  
"If it's the first issue in every session? It could be… I don't know, two weeks." Almost unconsciously, Padmé raises a hand to her lips, nervously biting one nail. "That doesn't even cover negotiating with the Trade Federation. And if that fails, then the Senate would have to find the forces to remove them from Naboo, since the Republic doesn't have a formal army."  
Anakin shakes his head, aghast. "No wonder there's still slavery in the galaxy."

Meanwhile, Palpatine is finishing his conversation with the Jedi. "But if, as you say, the Force is with us, this is only a false alarm." The senator silkily ends the debate. "A petty move by the Trade Federation meant to worry Queen Ilena."  
"We can only hope." Qui-Gon gravely replies.  
"I must be on my way." Palpatine concludes, giving a slight nod to the Jedi by way of goodbye. "The Senate certainly won't wait for me if I miss the next session."

The senator steps forward, reaching out to shake Anakin and Padmé's hands. "Still, I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet our young heroes. Are you certain you wish to remain on Naboo?"  
"Thank you, Senator, but my duty is to defend the Queen." Padmé replies.  
"I understand entirely. But Anakin, I don't suppose I could offer you a ride to Coruscant? You certainly don't have anything keeping you here." Palpatine says.  
Anakin's blue eyes widen- he's more than a bit surprised at being singled out. "Oh... no, thank you, Senator." he manages to say. "Whatever happens, I'd like to be here, so I can help Lady Amidala and Master Qui-Gon." Anakin says.  
Palpatine seems quite disappointed. "Perhaps another time then."

"Padmé, dear, are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Jobal- Padmé's mother- asks.  
"'ll be fine, mom," her daughter reassures her. "Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan will protect me. They'll be staying on Naboo until they find the assassin."

Padmé says her goodbyes; then the Naberries enter the ship with Senator Palpatine and his four bodyguards. Padmé watches the ship rise into the atmosphere.

"What if I never see them again?" she murmurs.  
"They'll be alright." Anakin replies.  
"It's not them I'm worried about."

Anakin takes her hand. They both watch the dark sky until Palpatine's ship disappears into hyperspace with a bright flash of light.

* * *

The landspeeder is very quiet, and not yet in motion. Rain drizzles onto the landing platform, which no longer has its ion shield up. Anakin and Padmé sit together in the middle row, while Obi-Wan is back in the driver's seat, and Qui-Gon is beside him.

Obi-Wan presses the ignition. The engine sputters for a prolonged few seconds, then dies. Everyone exchanges a worried look. Obi-Wan presses the ignition again. The engine dies. The Jedi exchange a worried glance.  
"What is it?" Anakin asks.

Qui-Gon doesn't answer, but simply climbs out of the speeder; Obi-Wan follows suit and Anakin and Padmé quickly exit, as well. Qui-Gon moves toward the hood of the speeder, while Obi-Wan cautiously lingers back, keeping Anakin and Padmé from getting any closer. All of them become soaked in the torrential downpour.

Qui-Gon pops open the hood. The engine is melted.  
"What in the worlds?" Obi-Wan asks. He steps closer to examine it.  
"Someone sabotaged this speeder." Qui-Gon answers. "Most likely the Sith Lord."  
"What's the point?" Padmé asks. "If someone wanted to hurt us, why not just plant a bomb?"  
"We would have sensed the danger." The Jedi Knight answers. "But this subtlety has left us stranded."  
Padmé shivers- and not just because she's soaked to the skin.

Obi-Wan frowns, tensely scanning their surroundings. "We can call the Queen, and have her send another transport." The padawan suggests.  
Qui-Gon pulls out his comlink, tests it, then looks up. "It's too late for that. Every channel is jammed."

"What do we do?" Anakin asks. Qui-Gon frowns, scanning the scenery around them.  
"The Queen won't realize we're missing for some time." Qui-Gon answers. "Our best bet is to start walking back to Theed, and hope that the jamming will clear as we get closer."  
"We'd be right in the open, exactly where the Sith Lord wants us." Obi-Wan points out. He studies the long, winding dirt road that cuts through the plains- it's now almost entirely mud. "And there's always the chance we'll freeze to death."

"We won't take the main road." Qui-Gon replies. "We'll cut through the swamps." The Knight points out the forested swampland to their right- and Padmé blanches.  
The handmaiden hesitantly speaks up. "Master, that's a bad idea." she says through chattering teeth. "That's gungan territory."  
"Gungan territory?" Obi-Wan asks. Even he is starting to shiver now.  
"There's a treaty separating the Naboo and gungan territories." Padmé explains. She pales. "If we cross the boundary, we could be executed."  
"We're Jedi Knights. The Republic gives us the authority to cross boundaries within its territory when necessary." Qui-Gon replies.  
"The gungans won't see it that way," Padmé cautions. Again, she has to fight the urge to anxiously bite her nails. "They hate outsiders."  
"If anyone has another option, speak now." Qui-Gon says.

Everyone stares off toward the gungan swamps... and is silent.

Qui-Gon steps off of the landing platform, and trudges through the high grass, heading toward the swamps. After a moment, Obi-Wan dutifully follows him, as do Anakin and Padmé.

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	9. We're Stranded!

Deep within the gungan swamps, the marshy ground sinks beneath their feet. The stubby trees have thick, low hanging foliage that hides the path ahead and reduces the rain to a light drizzle.

Although they don't realize it, they are being watched.

Something shifts in the trees nearby. Obi-Wan could swear he hears another set of footsteps. But there's nothing. The group keep walking.

"Master..." Obi-Wan murmurs. "I don't like this."  
Qui-Gon sends him a warning look. "Just stay calm. Act natural." The Knight casually scans the treeline. "For now, they're only watching us."  
The padawan feels his heart stop, and his stomach sink. He scans the dark swamp himself, stretching out with the Force... but Obi-Wan isn't skilled enough to clearly sense the alien life forms. He knows that, somewhere, someone's there- but that's about it._  
Not terribly helpful, _the padawan grumbles to himself.

Behind them, Lady Amidala steps up, her dark eyes clearly troubled. "Is something wrong?"  
Obi-Wan takes a deep breath, trying to still the adrenaline rushing through him. "Nothing, mi'lady..."

Something very large shifts beneath the surface of a murky pond. Qui-Gon holds up a hand to silence everyone.

The murky pond begins to bubble as _something _huge rises to the surface.

Obi-Wan jumps, whirling around as a tree branch snaps behind him. The branches shake as some unseen creature retreats.

"We are Jedi Knights, here on the authority of the Galactic Republic." Qui-Gon loudly announces, slowly turning in a circle. "We mean you no harm. We will be on our way momentarily."  
"Yousas not supposed to be here," a soft voice growls from the treeline. "Yousas gonna die-n, meesa thinks..."  
"There's no need for violence," Obi-Wan replies. He swallows tightly, trying to work some moisture back into his mouth. "We're leaving now."

Suddenly, a spear is hurled from the trees. The Jedi duck out of the way, then ignite their lightsabers. Padmé draws her slim blaster from a hidden pocket in her robes.  
"Run!" Qui-Gon shouts. Anakin and Padmé run for their lives, stumbling along the uneven trail.

Three gungans jump down from the treetops, drawing their bows as they fire sharp arrows at the Jedi. Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber, standing back-to-back with Qui-Gon as the three more gungans, armed with spears, emerge from the nearby pond.

* * *

Anakin and Padmé stumble along the swamp path, panting with exertion. Two gungans drop down from the trees before them, brandishing spears. The teenagers stop short; Padmé fires her blaster. One gungan drops to the ground, stunned.

Anakin rushes off the path and into the forest, pulling Padmé with him. The remaining gungan chases after them.

* * *

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are in the midst of battle. One of the gungan's arms is sliced off, causing all six alien warriors retreat, diving into the deep, murky ponds beside the path.

* * *

Anakin and Padmé stumble through the treacherous swampland. The muddy ground sinks beneath their feet. But the gungan pursuing them knows exactly where to step, and quickly gain ground. Padmé fires at him, but misses dismally.

The teenagers emerge into a clearing; a patch of ground suddenly gives way beneath their feet, plunging them into murky, chest-deep water. Anakin and Padmé gasp, struggling to splash to the surface. They look up in terror at the gungan, who points his spear at the humans' throats.

* * *

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan race through the forest, looking for Anakin and Padmé.

* * *

The gungan stands, spear raised, poised to kill Anakin and Padmé. But the gungan hesitates.

Then the Jedi arrive in the clearing.  
"Drop your weapon!" Qui-Gon shouts.

The alien whirls to face the Jedi, leveling his spear. But the alien looks at their lightsabers, and realizes he's lost. He drops his spear onto the ground and kneels, accepting his fate with a bowed head.

The Jedi shut down their weapons as Anakin and Padmé struggle out of the pond. The gungan looks up at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.  
"Yousa… Yousa would spare mesa's life?" The alien asks in a soft, serious tone.  
"Of course. We are Jedi. That is our way." Qui-Gon says.  
The Gungan bows his head once more. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan helps Anakin and Padmé out of the muddy water.

"Isa now owes yousa a lifedebt." The Gungan murmurs.  
"Then I will release you from it, if you will help my friends." Qui-Gon replies.  
"Yousa not understanding, master. Isa is now a warrior who has lost to a human." The Gungan continues softly. "Isa have lost mesa's honor, and Isa is banished from mesa's clan until Isa have served the lifedebt. The gods demand this."

Qui-Gon pauses, his blue eyes clouded as he debates the ethical dilemma. "I see." the human says at last. "I am Knight Qui-Gon Jinn. What is your name, warrior?"  
"Isa is called Jar Jar, sir knight," the gungan quietly replies. "Mesa belongs to the family-clan Binks." The gungan stands, and bows before Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon tesnes, clearly uncomfortable with this. The Knight turns away and looks to Obi-Wan. "Are the comm channels still jammed?"  
"Yes. We can't get in touch with the Queen, or anyone else," the padawan replies.

"We have a very dangerous enemy pursuing us, Jar Jar." Qui-Gon explains. "We must return to the city of Theed as soon as possible. If you insist on helping us, then help us cross through your territory safely."  
The gungan frowns, his long ears flattening. "Hmm... Isa cannot deny yousa's request, sir knight." The gungan slowly replies. "But yousas have been pick-en a poor time to travel. All-sa my people's hunters are awake now. Theysa hunting the mackinees that wake up at night."  
Qui-Gon nods. "We'll have to accept the risk."  
"As yousa wishes, sir knight," Jar Jar replies. He bows again. "Come-n this-a way..."

* * *

Moonlight falls across the Naboo plains, illuminating the lone figure perched there. Darth Maul sits atop his speeder bike, a pair of electrobinoculars raised to his eyes. He looks into the Gungan swamps, finding the heat signatures of the Jedi and their companions.

The Sith reaches for a palm-sized communicator, and opens up a hologram of Darth Sidious.

"What news do you bring, my apprentice?" Sidious asks.  
"Master." Maul silkily greets, bowing his horned head. "The Jedi are stranded in gungan territory, away from any witnesses."  
"I see… and you wish to strike?" Sidious laughs derisively. "My faith in you has been shaken, apprentice. Twice now you have failed to kill the Jedi. You have even failed to kill the unarmed Lady Amidala."

"Master, allow me to prove myself-" Maul begins.  
"You shall prove yourself to me by waiting. Allow the Jedi to exhaust themselves battling the Trade Federation's forces. Then, and only then, are you to kill them." Sidious pauses, sneering. "Or I will find another apprentice who is capable of such simple tasks."

Darth Maul bows his reddish head in deference. "As you wish, master."  
The transmission ends.

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	10. The Invasion

The four humans and lone gungan trudge through the damp swamp. It's still dark out, and terribly cold. The first traces of dawn can just be seen over the thickly leaved trees.

Padme slows her pace to walk beside Jar Jar. "Jar Jar?" The handmaiden softly begins He turns to her.  
"...why did you help me?" Padme tentatively asks.  
Jar Jar gives her a small smile as he answers. "Isa owes a lifedebt to your friends, small one."  
"No, I mean… before that." Padme presses. "You could have killed me before Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan showed up, but you didn't."

Jar Jar is silent. His floppy ears are flattened, and his long lips are turned down.  
"Why not?" Padme asks again. "I'm just a Naboo."  
"Isa thinks it is against a warrior's honor, to kill a child." Jar Jar finally answers.  
"But why not run from the Jedi?" The handmaiden asks. "Then they wouldn't have defeated you, and your clan wouldn't have to banish you."  
"Mesa's clan would have banished mesa anyway, small one." The gungan sadly replies. "But Isa will not burden yousa with that. What would the Naboo know-en about the clans and gods?"  
Padmé's expression darkens slightly. "More than you would think." She cryptically replies.

Qui-Gon slows his pace to walk beside the gungan.  
"Perhaps the Naboo aren't so different from you, Jar Jar." The Jedi says. "If what I know of this world is correct, many humans still live in clans, in more rural areas."  
"My parents grew up in one." Padme murmurs. "Their clan lived in the crystal core mountains, and made a living as miners. They worshiped many gods, too."  
Jar Jar shakes his head slightly.  
"Itsa not the same." Jar Jar says. "Yousa's gods are kind. Theysa do not demand exile for offending theysa."

Padmé laughs bitterly. "No, in my parents' clan, it's the humans who do that." She's quiet for a moment, before continuing: "I was exiled, too, Jar Jar. I was in an arranged marriage- my parents wanted me to marry the clan leader's son when I was old enough. Palo and I were happy, but I didn't believe in the gods he did. I… I just couldn't go through with it."

"And your clan— they believed you had offended the gods?" Qui-Gon probes.  
Padmé nods. "It was a huge scandal, for an isolated mountain town. I was a heretic. They exiled me… two, two and a half years ago now. My whole family was exiled, too." She hugs herself tightly, ignoring the guilt welling within her. "And things were… tense… with my mom after that, so I decided it was about time to get out of the house. I became one of the Queen's handmaidens. I live in the palace now."

Jar Jar nods solemnly. "The leaders of mesa's clan are cruel, too, little one." He says. "In mesa's clan, warriors become exiled if theysa do not kill theysa's opponents. Even the little ones, like yousa. That is why Isa can never return to my clan. The others saw that Isa spared yousa's life."  
For a moment, Padme is speechless. "I… Jar Jar, thank you for saving me." She finally says. "I won't ever forget what you did."  
"Isa am sure yousa won't, little one." Jar Jar says. "And perhaps yousa's people will remember, too. Perhaps yousa Naboo aren't all bad."  
"I hope so." Padme softly replies. "And I hope there are more gungans like you, Jar Jar."

* * *

It's fully dawn now, and the mud-splattered group is still trudging along the dirt path.  
"Any luck contacting the Queen?" Qui-Gon asks, not showing a trace of weariness.  
"None yet, master." Obi-Wan says, not bothering to hide his exhaustion. He fiddles with his comlink, then abruptly comes to a stop. "Look! Up ahead."  
The city of Theed is now visible through the thick trees. Invigorated, the five of them rush out of the swamp. They emerge on a dirt path that cuts through tall grass- the road to Theed!

The capital city, set high atop a hill, is visible- as is the smoke rising from it, and the dozens of behemoth ships in the atmosphere above...  
Ships that belong to the Trade Federation.

"No!" Padme cries.  
"The communications disruption- it wasn't the Sith." Obi-Wan realizes. "It was the Trade Federation."  
Padmé starts to run up the path. "We have to get to the palace-" she says. Qui-Gon puts a hand on her shoulder, effectively stopping her.  
"We will rescue those inside, but we can't simply storm through the palace gates." The Jedi Knight says. Padmé nods, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself.

"The secret passage we used to leave the palace- does anyone else know about it?" Qui-Gon asks.  
"No… no, the passages aren't even on the palace blueprints. Only a handful of guards and handmaidens know they exist." Padme answers.  
"There's more than one secret passage?" Obi-Wan asks.  
"We need you to take us to the nearest one." Qui-Gon says. "Can they be opened from the outside?"  
"Yes, but I-I don't have the security codes-" Padme stammers.  
"Our lightsabers will have to do. Lead the way, quickly!" Qui-Gon orders. Padmé takes off down the dirt road, the others follow.

* * *

Within Theed Palace, Queen ILena sits stiffly on her throne, wrists bound together. The tall windows behind her have been smashed in. The bodies of several Naboo guards lay spread eagle on the marble floor.

Surrounding the destruction are twelve of the Trade Federation's battle droids, standing guard over the Queen.

The room's wooden doors swing open, revealing the viceroy of the Trade Federation: Nute Gunray. He strides into the throne room.  
"Ah, Queen Ilena. I am so glad to see you safe and sound." The Viceroy silkily begins.  
"I am afraid I cannot say the same of you, Viceroy." Queen Ilena snaps.  
"Now your majesty, do understand: the Trade Federation's blockade is a purely political situation. Surely you will not take this personally?" Gunray smoothly continued.  
"I find the wholesale slaughter of my people to be deeply personal, Gunray." Ilena tersely replies. "What could you possibly want that justifies this?"

"It's quite simple, your highness." Gunray replies. He slowly ascends the dias that Queen Ilena's throne rests on. "You see, Naboo belongs to a sector of the galaxy that was once classified as a 'free trade zone.' But since the Republic voted to tax this sector of the galaxy, the Trade Federation's profits have suffered greatly. Our blockade signifies our position: there shall be free trade in this sector, or none at all."  
"You're a madman if you think any of this will bring you profits, Gunray." Queen Ilena insists. "Naboo has no influence in the Galactic Senate. Invading this world will do nothing but cause my people to suffer."

Gunray stands beside the Queen, one hand resting on the top of her throne. "Ah, your majesty… once again, you fail to see the larger picture." The Viceroy sighs. "Your planet has no influence in the Senate, but my friend, Lord Sidious, does. In exchange for blockading this world, Lord Sidious has assured me that this sector will become a free trade zone once more."  
"Listen to me, Gunray." Queen Ilena pleads. "All this stranger has offered you is empty promises. No one man can control the Senate."

Gunray laughs heartily. "That is where you are wrong, majesty. And that is where you can help me." Gunray sets a datapad on the arm of her throne. "By signing this treaty, you will become the first of many worlds to succeed from the Republic. And as part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, you will return this sector to a free trade zone."  
She gasps. "You're asking me to commit treason! I will never-"  
"Yes, Lord Sidious thought you might need more convincing." Gunray cuts her off. He motions to a battle droid. "Bring in the prisoners!"  
"Roger, roger," The droid replies, then leaves the room.

Moments later, four battle droids march twelve shackled handmaidens into the throne room. The young women are bruised and bleeding, with their hair and robes in disarray.

Darth Maul follows them. At a flick of the Sith Lord's wrist, the handmaidens are shoved onto their knees by the Force.  
"Now, your majesty… perhaps Darth Maul will persuade you to cooperate." The Viceroy gloats.

Maul ignites his red lightsaber.  
"NO!" The Queen cries. Several handmaidens scream as Maul swings his lightsaber toward the nearest woman. She crumples to the floor, dead.

Queen Ilena holds back tears. "I…" She begins to say, then falters. "I will not hand power to such tyrants." She replies, her voice strong. "As long as I live, I will never sign your blasted treaty."  
Gunray grips the Queen's arm painfully tight. "Lord Sidious demanded you be left alive, to make Naboo's succession from the Republic legitimate." He hisses.

The Queen cries out as Gunray yanks her off the throne, and throws her off the raised dais. Queen Ilena crashes down onto the marble floor… and finds herself at Darth Maul's feet. She gazes up at the Sith Lord, terrified.

Gunray smirks at her from atop the throne room dais. "But signatures can be forged, your highness." He says.  
"It's more than just a signature, Gunray." Ilena replies. Her voice trembles. "When I sign an order, the datapads have to measure everything: the speed of my handwriting, the pressure of the stylus, even my bioprints and heart rate. It's encoded into the document before it's sent to the Senate. And if Senator Palpatine finds that those measurements are incorrect- or missing entirely- he'll know exactly what happened." She looks up at Gunray. "Lord Sidious is right. You still need me alive."  
Gunray sneers, and opens his mouth to reply-

When a pair of battle droids approach him.  
"Uh… sir?" The first droid nervously interjects.  
"What is it?!" Gunray snaps.  
"Uh, patrol 12 isn't responding." The droid continues.  
"We think there might be a problem." The second droid adds.  
"What sort of problem?" The Viceroy hisses.  
"We're not sure, sir." The second droid replies. "We sent a second patrol to the east wing to check on patrol 12, but now they aren't responding either-"

Darth Maul suddenly looks up, his gold eyes flying open. "The Jedi have arrived." The zabrack says. "Have your droids keep them occupied. I will finish them off once they have been overwhelmed." With that, Darth Maul strides out of the throne room.

Gunray turns to Queen Ilena as he slowly descends from the dias.  
"It seems our negotiations will have to continue at another time, your highness." The Viceroy softly says. "I urge you to think long and hard about my offer."  
Still sprawled on the floor, Ilena sends him the dirtiest look she can muster.

Gunray calmly walks out of the Throne Room, stepping over the dead handmaiden's body on his way out.

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED…._

**_A/N:_**_ Thank you to everyone for your great patience between updates. As always, I hope you are all healthy and safe!_


	11. Escape

In the east wing of Theed Palace, a battle rages in an open courtyard.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, wielding their colorful blades, cut through battle droids like butter- but there are still dozens upon dozens of enemies, and their blaster fire rings through the courtyard in an earsplitting cacophony. Across from the Jedi, Jar Jar impales a golden droid with his spear. The machine gives one last cry as it falls to its knees and shuts down. Side by side with Anakin, Padmé picks off targets with her Nubian blaster, while Anakin uses a blaster he swiped from one of the fallen droids.

Finally, the last of the droids is sliced in two by Qui-Gon.  
Anakin, still breathing heavily from the exertion, looks to the Jedi. "What were those things?"  
"From the looks of it, B1 Battle Droids." Obi-Wan replies. His brow creases in concern as he studies the fallen machines.

_Obviously, they're battle droids,_ Anakin thinks. _That's real helpful, Obi-Wan._  
"But where did they come from?" Anakin asks aloud, much more respectfully. "Are they with the Trade Federation?"  
Obi-Wan frowns, his blue eyes becoming clouded. "The Federation keeps a small force of battle droids to protect their shipments from pirates." The padawan says. "Or at least, that's what they told the Senate."

"Patrol 12! Patrol 12, come in!" A yet-unseen battle droid calls.  
"To the throne room; quickly!" Qui-Gon quietly orders. The group sneaks through the sunlit courtyard, toward the center of the palace.

Struggling to balance stealth and speed, they sprint through a corridor full of shattered stained glass windows. Moving almost as one entity, the group ducks behind a corner, waiting for a pair of destroyer droids to roll past. Then the group dashes up a flight of marble stairs.

* * *

In a corridor of the palace not far from them, Darth Maul holds a holocommunicator in his palm. A small blue hologram of Darth Sidious is held in his palm.  
"My apprentice." Darth Sidious silkily begins. "News of this crisis has reached Coruscant, and Gunray must testify to the Senate by hologram. Protect Viceroy Gunray as he sends a transmission from his ship. You cannot allow the Jedi to interfere with this."  
"But master, the Jedi are within my sight-" Maul protests.  
"You have your orders, apprentice." Sidoius snaps. "Do not question me again. There is now more at stake than simply the Jedi." The Dark Lord smiles, steepling his fingers. "It seems that the Senate is losing faith in Chancellor Valorum's abilities. This drawn-out crisis will cement his failure... and a new chancellor will rise."

* * *

Queen Ilena and her orange-robed handmaidens huddle together in the center of the throne room. Each of their wrists are cuffed together with durasteel binders, and the dozen battle droids surrounding them quickly smother any thoughts of escape.

Suddenly, two Jedi burst inside, lightsabers blazing!  
"What the- open fire!" A golden battle droid cries. The Jedi charge into the room; Padmé and Anakin raise their blasters and follow them. Together, the four of them quickly defeat the droids.

"Knight Jinn!" Queen Ilena cries, relief breaking across her painted face. "And Lady Amid-"  
She is cut off by a scream from her handmaiden: "A gungan!" The terrified girl points to the doorway across from her.  
"He'll kill us!" Another handmaiden shrieks.

Jar Jar cowers behind the wooden doorframe as the queen gets to her feet.  
"Gungan, you know the penalty for violating the treaty is death." Ilena says. Despite the binders on her wrists, she still holds the room captive. "If you have dared to harm my people-"  
"There is no need for alarm; Jar Jar will not harm you." Qui-Gon calmly cuts her off. "He swore a lifedebt to me, and helped me to reach the palace quickly by crossing through his people's territory."

The Queen still coldly regards the gungan.  
"Your majesty," Padmé begins, hands clasped before her, "Jar Jar saved my life, even though it meant exile for him. And he risked breaking the treaty to help us. He's here to help us, just as much as any Naboo in this room."

"Then... if it is as you say, Lady Amidala..." The Queen takes a deep, cautious breath. "I must ask your forgiveness, Jar Jar. We mean you no harm, if you will not harm us."  
Jar Jar shyly steps forward, and bows deeply. "Thank yousa, majesty. Thank yousa very, very much-es."

With that matter taken care of, Qui-Gon steps forward, using his lightsaber to cut through the queen and handmaidens' binders. Obi-Wan quickly moves to assist him as the freed handmaidens get to their feet.  
"Your majesty, are you hurt?" The Jedi Knight asks.  
"Those of us still alive are unharmed." Queen Ilena gravely replies. Her brown eyes still carry the weight of her handmaiden's death. "The Viceroy and his enforcer are gone for the moment, but they'll return."  
"Enforcer?" Obi-Wan asks.  
"An alien called Darth Maul." The queen explains. "He wields a lightsaber, but I can't believe someone so evil could be a Jedi."

Alarmed, the Jedi exchange a look.  
"Why did they leave?" Qui-Gon asks.  
Queen Ilena frowns as she says, "Maul was looking for you."  
"No." Obi-Wan insists. "Something stopped him, or we would never have reached the throne room."  
Qui-Gon shakes his head, his greying beard swaying with the motion. "We have no time to debate this," he interrupts. "Your highness, under the circumstances, I suggest you come with us to Coruscant." Qui-Gon says.

"To Coruscant?!" Padmé gasps. Her brown eyes are wide, nearly shining with tears. "But the people here-"  
Qui-Gon cuts her off. "We cannot save Naboo without an army. And as all communications have been jammed, we will have to go in person to make an appeal to the Senate. Chancellor Palpatine will need Queen Xenia's help to convince the Republic to act."  
"It is what's best for our people, Padmé." The Queen soothingly adds. She lays her hand on Lady Amidala's shoulder.

As the Jedi cut the last of the handmaidens free, the ladies all arm themselves with the fallen droids' blasters.

"We need to leave, now- do you have transports?" Qui-Gon asks, blue eyes sharp and alert.  
The Queen nods. "Yes, in the main hangar. But we'll never make it past the blockade!"  
"We must try." Qui-Gon gravely replies. Without another word, he leads the group out of the throne room.

In the grand marble corridor, Qui-Gon scans the way for droids, then moves on, the group stealthily following.

"Wait!" Padmé keeps her voice to a whisper, terrified that battle droids droids will hear her. "Jar Jar- your people, they have an army, don't they?"  
The gungan turns his tan, smooth head to her. "Wesa do, little one." He uncertainly replies.  
"Where are they? Can't they help us fight back?"  
"Theysa must be hiden'. Theysa not gonna risk their lives for humans theysa never talk to."  
"But what if the Queen came to ask for their help?"

They all fall silent as the Qui-Gon holds up his hand. The Jedi Knight peers around a sandstone corner, patiently waiting for a pair of destroyer droids to roll past the intersection.

When they've passed, the Knight says, "It's too dangerous. We can't risk the Queen's life by dragging her across an invaded world. The best thing we can do is bring her to Coruscant so she can speak to-"  
"What if I went to the gungans in her stead?" Padmé interrupts. "Master Qui-Gon, you can take the Queen to Coruscant while Jar Jar takes me to speak with the gungans."  
"Mi'lady, it's too dangerous." A handmaiden protests, her face turning pale at the very thought.  
But it's Jar Jar's words that carry the most weight. He sadly shakes his head, long ears flopping to the side. "Mesa's people not gonna help with just one Naboo askin', Padmé." He softly replies. "Theysa be'n a proud people. Itsa gonna take yousa's Queen to convince them."

A strange expression crosses Queen Ilena's face- as if she's repressing a newfound bit of hope. "Jar Jar, my handmaidens are my bodyguards, my decoys, and my closest advisors." The Queen cautiously intones. "Padmé has the authority to act as the Queen in my place, when I give her permission."  
Jar Jar's eyes light up. "Yousa gonna be the Queen, little one?"  
"Will it work?" Padmé asks. Her brown eyes plead with the alien to say "yes."  
"Hmm..." Jar Jar murmurs, his great ears flattening. "Isa hope. Isa don't know."

"Either choice presents great risk... to all of us, and to the fate of this planet." Queen Ilena warns.  
Padmé squares her shoulders. "I am brave, your highness."  
Qui-Gon turns to the two women. "If this is to be done, your highness, it must be now."  
"Very well." The Queen nods- a rather dangerous motion, given her very tall, very precariously balanced headdress. "Lady Amidala, you know what to do."

Several handmaidens hold back tears, and embrace Padmé briefly. Then half of them run down an adjoining hall with her, while the others stay with the Queen.

"I'll stay with Lady Amidala." Qui-Gon announces. "She'll appear more credible with a Jedi protector."  
"I'll stay with her as well." Captain Panaka declares. He looks terribly brave with his stony features and crisp uniform. " It's common knowledge that I'm the Queen's protector. And Queen Ilena will be safe enough once she reaches Coruscant and is appointed bodyguards by the Senate."  
Qui-Gon nods, then adds: "Obi-Wan, you'll escort Queen Ilena to Coruscant. Take Anakin with you, and bring him before the Jedi Council as soon as possible."

Anakin and Obi-Wan both look at him in shock. Anakin's heart leaps, hope slowly unfurling- but the emotion is dashed just as quickly as it was raised.  
"The boy will not pass the Council's tests, Master, and you know it." Obi-Wan protests. "He is far too old."  
Unphased, Qui-Gon turns to Anakin, and meets his blue eyes. "Anakin, you will become a Jedi… I promise you." The gravity in his words is indescrible- and somehow, just somehow, it makes Anakin feel certain that everything will be alright.

With that, the Jedi Knight turns to leave, heading down the hall after Padmé. But Obi-Wan quickly follows after him- as do Anakin, Captain Panaka, and even Jar Jar.

"Don't defy the Council, Master, not again." Obi-Wan pleads.  
Qui-Gon doesn't look back. "I will do what I must," he says shortly.  
"Master, you could be sitting on the Council by now if you would just follow the code." Obi-Wan continues. A faint note of strain permeates his voice. " They will not go along with you this time."  
"If that is where your priorities are," Qui-Gon snaps, "then you still have much to learn, my young apprentice."  
They approach a half open, hinged door, and step inside the queen's dressing room.

Within the queen's quarters, Padmé stands on a slightly raised dias in the center of the room. She's dressed in a blood-red, tight jumpsuit; three handmaidens are helping her step into a scarlet dress covered with gold embroidery. A fourth handmaiden paints Padmé's face white, with two red dots on her cheeks; the last two handmaidens pin her hair up, then place a gold headpiece and wig on top.

The Jedi and Anakin step inside, but everyone else is too busy to pay them any attention.  
"Obi-Wan, this is not a discussion." Qui-Gon says in a low voice. His ice-blue eyes sharply rebuke the padawan. "Get on a ship, and get Queen Ilena to Coruscant. And Anakin…"  
"Yes, Master Qui-Gon?" Anakin timidly replies.  
"I need your answer. Will you train as a Jedi?"  
Anakin pauses, thinking over his answer. "I will, master." The former slave says at last.  
Obi-Wan icily breaks in, a little jealous: "...then may the Force be with you, master."  
"And with you, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon softly replies. All traces of the Knight's anger have vanished.

Obi-Wan quickly leaves the room, while Anakin steps up to Padmé.  
"Padmé, please be careful." Anakin says softly. His blue eyes search hers with frightening intensity.  
She takes his hands, and squeezes them gently. "You, too." Padmé murmurs. "And good luck."

With one last moment of hesitation, Anakin runs after Obi-Wan.

The newly-appointed Padawan Skywalker quickly finds Obi-Wan jogging down the sandstone, sunlit corridor. Putting on a burst of speed, Anakin quickly catches up to him. But Anakin finds himself ignored in favor of Queen Ilena and her handmaidens.  
"We have to hurry, your highness," Obi-Wan says, not even winded from the sudden sprints.  
"The hangar bay is this way," Queen Ilena smoothly replies, starting down another corridor. She and Obi-Wan take the lead; Anakin and the handmaidens swiftly follow them.

* * *

Within the queen's dressing room, Padmé is now fully dressed as Queen Ilena. With the heavy makeup, elaborate clothing, and tall headpiece, the difference is almost imperceptible.

"My lady, I understand your need to resemble the Queen, but this outfit can only serve to hinder your movements." Qui-Gon says, examining her elaborate dress with a critical eye.  
"The defensive properties make up for it." Captain Panaka answers on her behalf, just as a harried handmaiden moves to put the finishing touches on Padmé's outfit.  
"This fabric can absorb up to fifty percent of a laser or stun blast, and the extra padding over her vitals can stop any assassin's dart," the handmaiden somewhat distractedly explains. "The headpiece contains a tracking device in case we're separated from her- not to mention the edges are sharp as a vibroblade. They can be detached and used as weapons in an emergency. And the sleeves can easily conceal a blaster."

The handmaiden backs away, and helps Padmé cautiously step down from the raised platform. With that, Lady Amidala slips a blaster into the holster beneath her left sleeve.

Apparently satisfied, Qui-Gon turns to the gungan in the room. "Jar Jar, is your people's hiding place far from here?"  
"Itsa very far, sir knight," he replies, nodding. "Far away from thesa clankers."  
"We'll need to take a landspeeder." The Knight acknowledges.  
"To the hangar bay, then." Padmé commands with all the authority of a true queen. She picks up her skirts, breaking into a run as the group rushes out of the room.

* * *

The central hangar bay of Theed palace is eerily quiet- until the main doors open. The ten battle droids patrolling the area spin around, whirling to face the door- and the Jedi stepping through it. Obi-Wan Kenobi, followed by Anakin, Queen Ilena, and six handmaidens, enters the cavernous room. The battle droids march forward to meet them, raising their blasters.

"Hang on. Who are you?" The leading droid demands.  
"I'm an ambassador of Viceroy Gunray's, taking these prisoners to a more secure cell on Coruscant." Obi-Wan smoothly replies. The droid hesitates for a moment.  
"Uh, that doesn't compute." The droid exclaims, cocking its head to the side. "You're under arrest!"

Red lasers rain down on the group of humans, and Obi-Wan deflects as many shots as he can. His companions swiftly fire back, as the humans all sprint for a sleek chrome spacecraft.

"We need to free those pilots!" Queen Ilena commands- she points to roughly twenty guards, ground crew, and pilots held in a corner by another six battle droids.  
"I'll take care of that. Just get on board!" Obi-Wan orders. The queen obeys. She, her handmaidens, and Anakin sprint up the ramp of her silver ship as Obi-Wan heads to the group of captured pilots.

Just then, the hangar bay doors _whoosh _open again. Knight Qui-Gon Jinn activates his green lightsaber as he darts inside. Padmé raises her blaster and follows him, as do Jar Jar, Captain Panaka, and the remaining handmaidens. They race toward an empty landspeeder as deafening alarms blare. More droids rush into the hanger and fire at the small group; Qui-Gon quickly deflects the blasts as his friends return fire.

While Qui-Gon deals with the new droids, Obi-Wan reaches the captives on the other side of the hangar. The droids guarding them try to fire on the Jedi, but they are cut down within instants. Some of the newly freed pilots, guards and ground crew members rush on board the Queen's ship; others go to help Qui-Gon Jinn.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan darts across the hangar bay, and boards the Queen's ship just as the ramp retracts. The silver vessel takes off moments later.

At that same moment, Padmé, Jar Jar, and Captain Panaka jump into a topless landspeeder, and use it as cover as they fire on the remaining droids.  
"Hey! That's cheating!" A battle droid protests.

As the queen's silver ship darts out of the hangar bay, the remaining battle droids try- and fail- to shoot it down. The sleek spacecraft speeds away from the planet of Naboo, and heads for the deadly Federation blockade.

The remaining Naboo pilots and guards, still in the palace hangar bay, jump into another two landspeeders. Captain Panaka starts his speeder as the crowd of droids begins to thin, and drives at full speed across the hangar bay, towards the secret passage the Jedi used the night before. The other two landspeeders follow him.

At the last possible moment, Qui-Gon jumps into the speeder with Captain Panaka, Jar Jar, and Padmé, and the heroes complete their escape through the secret passage in the hangar wall.

* * *

Within the cockpit of Queen Ilena's ship, the pilot, Ric Olie, steers the silver craft toward the massive Trade Federation battleship. A horrified Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Queen Ilena have no choice but to watch the hulking battleships grow larger, and larger, and larger in the viewport.  
"Here comes the blockade. Brace yourselves." Ric orders.

Red lasers streak through the stars as the Federation ships begin to fire on the Nubian one. A shudder runs through the Naboo spacecraft; the lights flicker.  
"Status?" Ric Olie asks. Obi-Wan studies the various monitors in the cockpit.  
"Blast! The hyperdrive's leaking." Obi-Wan replies. 'You'll have just enough power to make it to Coruscant, but you have to make the jump as soon as possible."  
"Copy that." Ric says. The pilot turns and speaks into a comm unit. "Return fire at will. Repeat, return fire at will."

* * *

A handmaiden sits in one of the gunner's chambers; a red-haired Naboo pilot sits in the other.  
The pilot speaks into a comm unit: "Copy that." With that, she and the handmaiden begin to fire on the Trade Federation ships.

* * *

The ship shudders again, and the cockpit is thrown into a red haze as the emergency lights flash to life.  
"We're losing our shields!" Ric Olie cries.  
"Keep going," Obi-Wan orders. He stands behind Olie, clutching the back of the pilot's seat with a white knuckled grip. "The Federation wants Queen Xenia alive, they won't shoot us down."  
"You must be mad!" Ric Olie shouts.  
"It's risky, but there's no alternative." Obi-Wan calmly replies. "Remember, jump to hyperspace as soon as you can!"

The padawan rushes out of the cockpit- and Anakin jumps up from his seat to follow him.

A brief sprint later, Obi-Wan stops in a short hall beside an escape pod. Anakin's eyes widen as he realizes what Obi-Wan is about to do.  
"Where are you going? The Queen needs our help!" Anakin shouts after the padawan.  
"Not as much as Qui-Gon needs mine." Obi-Wan snaps back. He steps into the escape pod. Again, Anakin follows.

"You can't just leave!" Anakin protests. "The Federation will think the Queen's in the escape pod, and they'll shoot down this ship! Everyone's going to die!"  
"That's why I'm turning off the life support functions in this pod, at least until the Queen's ship jumps to hyperspace." Obi-Wan says, adjusting the controls within the dark pod. The Federation droids will think the pod's empty."  
"Are you crazy? You'll be dead before you hit the atmosphere."  
"I'm a Jedi. I can hold my breath."

"Well, If you're going back to Naboo, I'm going with you." Anakin decides. He drops into one of the escape pod's cramped seats. Obi-Wan does his best not to roll his eyes.  
"Anakin, you can't possibly survive-" Obi-Wan starts to say.  
"You can turn the life support systems back on as soon as the ship jumps to hyperspace." Anakin interrupts. "Just wait as long as you can to deploy the pod."  
Obi-Wan takes a deep breath in frustration. "Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you, young one," he says at last.

* * *

Ric Olie, sweat beading on his brow, frantically adjusts the controls within the cockpit. "We're nearly past the blockade," he calls. "Jumping to hyperspace in five... four…"

* * *

Within the escape pod, Ric Olie's voice comes over the comm unit. "Three…"

Obi-Wan nods to Anakin, and they both take a deep breath. Then the padawan seals and deploys the escape pod.

* * *

The Naboo spacecraft races away. Its form seems to flicker slightly, then disappears in a flash of light as it jumps to hyperspace.

Meanwhile, a lone escape pod falls toward the planet of Naboo...

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED…._

**A/N: As always, I hope you are all safe and healthy! And thank you all for having great patience in between story updates :)  
Shout out to YellowWomanontheBrink and vanellopeeee for leaving reviews on the past couple chapters- and, of course, thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. You guys are the best! :)**


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